The pro-Russian
Șor Party have been instrumental in the organisation of the protests.[68][69] It is alleged by the Moldovan government that the party has been offering cash payments to people to attend the protests and has also been providing free transportation to the capital for protest attendees,[68] with funds provided by
Ilan Shor, the oligarch and leader of the Șor Party who had fled Moldova amid corruption charges[69] and who has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.[70] The Șor party would be outlawed by the Moldovan Constitutional Court on 19 June 2023 with its former members being further barred from participating in the upcoming
2023 Moldovan local elections, regardless of their new political affiliation.[71][72] Following the dismantling of the Șor party, large scale coordinated protests ceased.[47]
Timeline
2022
September
On 18 September, about 20,000 people attended a protest in Chișinău, demanding that the country's pro-Western government resign.[73]
October
On 13 October, the authorities of the Republic of Moldova decided to ban rallies that block traffic lanes, transport arteries or access roads to public institutions during the week, these being allowed only on weekends for a maximum duration of four hours.[65]
On 14 October, several people came out to protest in the center of the
capital against the measure taken by the authorities, and at least 4 people were detained.[65]
On 6 November, over 50,000 supporters of the Șor party took part in a protest in the national capital of Chișinău, once again demanding the resignation of the pro-western government and snap parliamentary elections.[citation needed]
On 8 November, the Moldovan government announced that it had requested the constitutional court to initiate proceedings for the outlawing of Ilan Shor's "Șor" party in Moldova, due to it allegedly promoting the interests of a foreign state and harming national independence and sovereignty.[76][77]
On 13 November, thousands of anti-government protesters returned to the streets of Chișinău.[78]
On 11 December, a new anti-government protest took place in Chișinău (at the US embassy in Chișinău and at the headquarters of the ruling PAS party), this initiated by the
We Build Europe at Home Party (PACE).[81]
On 15 December, within the Orheileaks investigation, the links between the Șor protesters and the
unionist activist
Vlad Bilețchi were exposed. The latter denied any association with protesters.[13]
On 19 December, six TV channels in Moldova linked to Ilan Shor (Prime TV, RTR Moldova, Accent TV, NTV Moldova, TV6 and Orhei TV) were temporarily suspended, on charges of making pro-Russian propaganda and spreading false information about the Russian-Ukrainian war.[83][84] The channels continued streaming on other platforms.
2023
January
On 25 January, several journalists from suspended TV channels, led by Alexei Lungu, protested in
Bucharest, demanding the intervention of the Romanian authorities to negotiate with the Moldovan ones to restart broadcasting the channels on TV. The next day, on 26 January, the journalists protested at the
Council of Europe in
Strasbourg.[4] On the same day, Russian deputies
Leonid Kalashnikov and
Svetlana Zhurova warned that Moldova's intentions to
unite with Romania, and thus joining
NATO, may lead to its destruction.[85][86]
On 26 January, several hundred pensioners from among supporters of the Șor Party protested on Thursday at the presidential building, demanding the resignation of Sandu.[87]
February
On 2 February Moldova passed a law introducing criminal penalties for separatism, including prison terms. The law continues with penalties for financing and inciting separatism, plotting against Moldova and collecting and stealing information that could harm the country's sovereignty, independence and integrity.[88]
On 2 February, Russian foreign minister
Sergey Lavrov declared that Moldova might have Ukraine's fate (meaning to be attacked by Russia) if the Moldovan president Maia Sandu, who has Romanian citizenship, wants Moldova to
unite with Romania and join NATO.[89][90][91][92][93][94][95]
On 16 February, a new cabinet led by
Dorin Recean was sworn in. The new Prime-minister declared that
Moldova's neutrality would not protect the country from any military aggression.[101]
On 21 February, Russian president
Vladimir Putin revoked the decree that underpinned Moldova's sovereignty in resolving the
Transnistria conflict.[113][114] On the same day, Prime-minister Dorin Recean declared that Russia tried to take the
Chișinău Airport under its control, in order to bring Russian and pro-Russian diversionists to
stage a coup and overthrow the Moldovan government.[115][116]
On 27 February,
Wizz Air announced that it will suspend all flights to and from
Chișinău Airport, due to security concerns linked to rising tensions with Russia. Most of the routes will be relocated to the
Iași Airport in Romania.[118]
On 6 March, the
Bloc of Communists and Socialists organized a protest in front of the
Constitutional Court of Moldova against changing the name of the official language from
Moldovan to Romanian. PAS leaders claimed that they are backed by Russia. There was also a counter-protest, in support of the Romanian language.[127]
On 27 April, a NATO flag was trampled by a group of people, right in front of the NATO Information Centre in Chișinău, by a group of people led by deputies
Alexandr Nesterovschi (who recently
left the Socialist Party and started collaborating with the Șor Party)[133] and
Irina Lozovan. They tore down the NATO flag and sprayed it with red paint, symbolizing blood.[134][135]
On 27 April, the Moldovan Parliament voted to strip Ilan Shor of his membership of the Parliament. He was succeeded by
Vladimir Vitiuc.[136]
May
On 1 May, Șor Party's vice president,
Marina Tauber, was arrested at the
Chișinău Airport on charges of corruption while trying to flee the country to Israel.[137][138]
On 19 June, the
Șor Party was outlawed by the
Constitutional Court of Moldova.[71][162][163] Șor declared that the party will continue its activity and that it will contest in the next elections despite such an action being illegal and any votes for Șor being invalid.[164]Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman of the
Russian foreign ministry, declared that Maia Sandu wants to become the "Romanian Queen of Moldova".[165]
Aftermath
On 26 June, Șor announced the creation of the
Chance. Duties. Realization political bloc, to continue the Șor Party's activity.[166][167] On the same day, the pro-Russian activist
Mihail Ahremțev, who is also the leader of the
Ours Party (a founding party of Șor's bloc), encouraged Moldovans on his Facebook page to join the
Russian Army and fight in Ukraine.[168]
26 July 2023, Moldova expelled 45 Russian diplomats and embassy staff because of "unfriendly actions".[176]
3 October the
Constitutional Court of Moldova ruled that Article 16 of the Electoral Code is unconstitutional and that former members of the Șor Party can stand for elections.[177] On 4 October, the Exceptional Situations Committee upheld the ban on the Șor party and also decided that all former members of the party that are charged, indicted, or even under suspicion of committing criminal acts will be banned from participating in the
2023 Moldovan local elections.[72] The bans on 21 candidates were amended on 4 October to run for 3 years.[178]
6 October, Maia Sandu, in an interview with the Financial Times, claimed that earlier in the year the
Wagner Group attempted to turn the protests into a violent insurrection which would allow them to stage a coup to topple her government. Additionally, she also claimed that
Yevgeny Prigozhin personally contributed to the 20 million Euros the Moldovan intelligence service intercepted to pro-Russian groups.[179][47][180]
The pro-Russian
Șor Party have been instrumental in the organisation of the protests.[68][69] It is alleged by the Moldovan government that the party has been offering cash payments to people to attend the protests and has also been providing free transportation to the capital for protest attendees,[68] with funds provided by
Ilan Shor, the oligarch and leader of the Șor Party who had fled Moldova amid corruption charges[69] and who has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.[70] The Șor party would be outlawed by the Moldovan Constitutional Court on 19 June 2023 with its former members being further barred from participating in the upcoming
2023 Moldovan local elections, regardless of their new political affiliation.[71][72] Following the dismantling of the Șor party, large scale coordinated protests ceased.[47]
Timeline
2022
September
On 18 September, about 20,000 people attended a protest in Chișinău, demanding that the country's pro-Western government resign.[73]
October
On 13 October, the authorities of the Republic of Moldova decided to ban rallies that block traffic lanes, transport arteries or access roads to public institutions during the week, these being allowed only on weekends for a maximum duration of four hours.[65]
On 14 October, several people came out to protest in the center of the
capital against the measure taken by the authorities, and at least 4 people were detained.[65]
On 6 November, over 50,000 supporters of the Șor party took part in a protest in the national capital of Chișinău, once again demanding the resignation of the pro-western government and snap parliamentary elections.[citation needed]
On 8 November, the Moldovan government announced that it had requested the constitutional court to initiate proceedings for the outlawing of Ilan Shor's "Șor" party in Moldova, due to it allegedly promoting the interests of a foreign state and harming national independence and sovereignty.[76][77]
On 13 November, thousands of anti-government protesters returned to the streets of Chișinău.[78]
On 11 December, a new anti-government protest took place in Chișinău (at the US embassy in Chișinău and at the headquarters of the ruling PAS party), this initiated by the
We Build Europe at Home Party (PACE).[81]
On 15 December, within the Orheileaks investigation, the links between the Șor protesters and the
unionist activist
Vlad Bilețchi were exposed. The latter denied any association with protesters.[13]
On 19 December, six TV channels in Moldova linked to Ilan Shor (Prime TV, RTR Moldova, Accent TV, NTV Moldova, TV6 and Orhei TV) were temporarily suspended, on charges of making pro-Russian propaganda and spreading false information about the Russian-Ukrainian war.[83][84] The channels continued streaming on other platforms.
2023
January
On 25 January, several journalists from suspended TV channels, led by Alexei Lungu, protested in
Bucharest, demanding the intervention of the Romanian authorities to negotiate with the Moldovan ones to restart broadcasting the channels on TV. The next day, on 26 January, the journalists protested at the
Council of Europe in
Strasbourg.[4] On the same day, Russian deputies
Leonid Kalashnikov and
Svetlana Zhurova warned that Moldova's intentions to
unite with Romania, and thus joining
NATO, may lead to its destruction.[85][86]
On 26 January, several hundred pensioners from among supporters of the Șor Party protested on Thursday at the presidential building, demanding the resignation of Sandu.[87]
February
On 2 February Moldova passed a law introducing criminal penalties for separatism, including prison terms. The law continues with penalties for financing and inciting separatism, plotting against Moldova and collecting and stealing information that could harm the country's sovereignty, independence and integrity.[88]
On 2 February, Russian foreign minister
Sergey Lavrov declared that Moldova might have Ukraine's fate (meaning to be attacked by Russia) if the Moldovan president Maia Sandu, who has Romanian citizenship, wants Moldova to
unite with Romania and join NATO.[89][90][91][92][93][94][95]
On 16 February, a new cabinet led by
Dorin Recean was sworn in. The new Prime-minister declared that
Moldova's neutrality would not protect the country from any military aggression.[101]
On 21 February, Russian president
Vladimir Putin revoked the decree that underpinned Moldova's sovereignty in resolving the
Transnistria conflict.[113][114] On the same day, Prime-minister Dorin Recean declared that Russia tried to take the
Chișinău Airport under its control, in order to bring Russian and pro-Russian diversionists to
stage a coup and overthrow the Moldovan government.[115][116]
On 27 February,
Wizz Air announced that it will suspend all flights to and from
Chișinău Airport, due to security concerns linked to rising tensions with Russia. Most of the routes will be relocated to the
Iași Airport in Romania.[118]
On 6 March, the
Bloc of Communists and Socialists organized a protest in front of the
Constitutional Court of Moldova against changing the name of the official language from
Moldovan to Romanian. PAS leaders claimed that they are backed by Russia. There was also a counter-protest, in support of the Romanian language.[127]
On 27 April, a NATO flag was trampled by a group of people, right in front of the NATO Information Centre in Chișinău, by a group of people led by deputies
Alexandr Nesterovschi (who recently
left the Socialist Party and started collaborating with the Șor Party)[133] and
Irina Lozovan. They tore down the NATO flag and sprayed it with red paint, symbolizing blood.[134][135]
On 27 April, the Moldovan Parliament voted to strip Ilan Shor of his membership of the Parliament. He was succeeded by
Vladimir Vitiuc.[136]
May
On 1 May, Șor Party's vice president,
Marina Tauber, was arrested at the
Chișinău Airport on charges of corruption while trying to flee the country to Israel.[137][138]
On 19 June, the
Șor Party was outlawed by the
Constitutional Court of Moldova.[71][162][163] Șor declared that the party will continue its activity and that it will contest in the next elections despite such an action being illegal and any votes for Șor being invalid.[164]Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman of the
Russian foreign ministry, declared that Maia Sandu wants to become the "Romanian Queen of Moldova".[165]
Aftermath
On 26 June, Șor announced the creation of the
Chance. Duties. Realization political bloc, to continue the Șor Party's activity.[166][167] On the same day, the pro-Russian activist
Mihail Ahremțev, who is also the leader of the
Ours Party (a founding party of Șor's bloc), encouraged Moldovans on his Facebook page to join the
Russian Army and fight in Ukraine.[168]
26 July 2023, Moldova expelled 45 Russian diplomats and embassy staff because of "unfriendly actions".[176]
3 October the
Constitutional Court of Moldova ruled that Article 16 of the Electoral Code is unconstitutional and that former members of the Șor Party can stand for elections.[177] On 4 October, the Exceptional Situations Committee upheld the ban on the Șor party and also decided that all former members of the party that are charged, indicted, or even under suspicion of committing criminal acts will be banned from participating in the
2023 Moldovan local elections.[72] The bans on 21 candidates were amended on 4 October to run for 3 years.[178]
6 October, Maia Sandu, in an interview with the Financial Times, claimed that earlier in the year the
Wagner Group attempted to turn the protests into a violent insurrection which would allow them to stage a coup to topple her government. Additionally, she also claimed that
Yevgeny Prigozhin personally contributed to the 20 million Euros the Moldovan intelligence service intercepted to pro-Russian groups.[179][47][180]