Macron’s Warning on Russian Interference

The French president, Emmanuel Macron denounced on Friday  ‘the interferences’ in elections which take place in Europe, especially in Romania, interferences which ‘‘undermine our democracies’, says AFP.‘We see this in the context of our elections – Romania is experiencing this right now – clearly there are threats which undermine the integrity of our democracies’ said the head of the French state at the opening of the summit of the European Political Community (CPE) in Tirana. ‘The Republic of Moldova is daily a victim of Russian interference. It is well known that the ongoing electoral scandals are also subject to such interference’ , Macron added.‘We are victims of manipulation during electoral periods, as well as foreign cyber interference almost permanently. And this is something that undermines the democratic security of our Europe’, he went on.In the same speech, Emmanuel Macron launched an appeal to the leaders of Europe ‘for the better protection of critical infrastructures against cyber attacks, for the consolidation of the regulatory framework for illegal online content and track the financial flows fuelling these hybrid actions’.Similarly, he estimated that Russia ‘does not feel like’ ceasing fire in Ukraine and it is necessary to put ’increased pressure’ on Moscow in order to coerce it.''The last few hours have shown that Russia is not in the mood for a ceasefire and that unless there is increased pressure from the Europeans and Americans to achieve this result, then it will not be safe,'' said the French president, referring to new sanctions on Moscow.   The president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu took part on Friday, 16th May at the sixth edition of the Summit of the European Political Community, organized in Tirana, Albania.   The event, hosted by prime-minister Edi Rama, gathered 47 heads of state and government of the EU and other European countries, according to presedinte.md.During the summit, Maia Sandu had a meeting with the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, premiers of Italy, Giorgia Meloni and the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen and the president of the European Council, Antonio Costa. They, together with the Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, the premier of Poland, Donald Tusk and the interim president of Romania, Ilie Bolojan adopted a statement through which they restated their firm support for the Republic of Moldova and the commitment to support the country on its European path.'We welcome Moldova's continued commitment to democratic reforms, the rule of law and the values shared by the European Union as a whole. Moldova has enshrined in its Constitution the objective of joining the European Union, making it clear that this is the path chosen by its citizens for the future of the country,' the statement said. ‘We are determined to support the Republic of Moldova on its path to becoming a prosperous and solid democracy – where citizens have the same opportunities and the same living standard as the citizens of the European Union. The economic transformation of Moldova is essential for this vision. We will continue to support the country’s efforts to build stronger and more competitive economy – which creates work places, draws investment and brings concrete benefits for all Moldavian citizens’ the signatories of the declaration emphasized.‘We appreciate the efforts of the Republic of Moldova to maintain stability in a difficult regional context and act like a trustworthy partner for European peace and security. As the country prepares for the next parliamentary elections, it is essential that the Moldavian citizens may choose their future freely, without any foreign interference. We will continue to support Moldova in defending its democratic process and in consolidating its resilence to foreign threats’ according to the document.'We stand with the people of the Republic of Moldova on their freely chosen path - towards a better future in a strong, united and peaceful Europe,' the statement added.  ‘The European Political Community Summit, held in Tirana, included a plenary session as well as a round table on ‘Securing Europe and strengthening democratic resilience’.   The European Political Community was created at the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron and aims to promote political dialogue and strengthen cooperation, security, stability and prosperity on the European continent.   The next meeting of the European Political Community will take place in Denmark in autumn 2025.