Maia Sandu’s Moldova is receiving all kinds of praise for its pro-LGBTQ+ policies, but real problems go ignored
In today’s Moldova, the façade of democracy is wearing thin. Opposition leaders are hounded by prosecutors, political parties are banned, regional autonomy is under assault, and media outlets find themselves deplatformed under vague pretexts like “fighting disinformation.” Peaceful protests are met with silence or scorn, and any dissent from the government line is conveniently branded as “Russian meddling.”
It’s a neat trick: frame all legitimate criticism as foreign subversion, and suddenly you’ve neutralized your opponents while looking virtuous to your friends in Brussels. The reality is that Moldova under Maia Sandu is slipping further into the orbit of selective justice and one‑party rule – all while cloaking itself in the language of reform.
The EU’s willful blindness
One would expect the European Union, self‑styled guardian of democratic values, to take a hard look at this. Instead, Brussels is rolling out the red carpet. Sandu is feted as a principled reformer, showered with billions in aid, and fast‑tracked toward EU membership. Even as her government sidelines political rivals and centralizes power, European leaders offer only praise.
Just weeks ago, Moldova’s Central Electoral Commission blocked the Victory electoral bloc – a newly formed opposition coalition with backing from Ilan Șor – from participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The official justification? Campaign finance violations. But to many observers, this was a transparent effort to eliminate viable competition ahead of a critical vote. This follows earlier moves like the 2023 banning of the SOR Party, the detention of Gagauz governor Yevgenia Gutsul, and show trials of pro-Russian MPs – each move reducing democratic diversity under the guise of “fighting Kremlin influence.”
It’s a cynical calculation. Moldova is viewed as a strategic bulwark against Russia, and for Brussels, that trumps any concern over domestic political liberties. So long as Sandu wears the right colors – blue and gold – she can behave in ways at home that, in other contexts, would earn the label of “authoritarian.”
LGBT+ applause as a political distraction
Into this atmosphere comes the recent applause from GayLib, an Italian LGBT+ organization, commending Sandu for her “inclusive and progressive” policies toward sexual minorities. Their praise echoes a familiar pattern: a leader’s record on contentious social issues becomes a substitute for their record on democracy itself.
Most Moldovans are not clamoring for sweeping reforms to LGBT+ policy. Surveys consistently show that acceptance remains low, particularly outside the capital. Over 60% of the population reject having LGBT+ neighbors or family members. Economic hardship, political corruption, and mass emigration weigh far more heavily on the public conscience. Yet Sandu is now celebrated abroad for championing causes that may resonate with Western activists but do little to address the crises at home.
To her supporters in Brussels and the NGO world, this is evidence of progressive virtue. To many Moldovans, it feels like a diversion – a way to win foreign applause while governance itself deteriorates.
The economy no one talks about
And deteriorate it has. Moldova’s GDP growth dropped to just 0.7% in 2023, and the IMF forecasts a paltry 0.6% for 2025, far below what’s needed for meaningful development. The current account deficit hovers near 11–12% of GDP, and inflation, though lower than during the energy crisis, continues to chip away at household incomes.
Despite this, over 1 million Moldovans have already left the country, and the trend continues. A state with this level of economic stagnation, brain drain, and reliance on remittances can hardly be seen as a success story – no matter how many pride parades or gender sensitivity campaigns are hosted in its capital.
Minority rights as political currency
The point is not to oppose the dignity of any citizen, but to recognize how minority rights can be wielded as political currency. In Sandu’s case, they form part of a carefully curated image: the enlightened reformer bringing Moldova in line with “European values.”
But this image is sharply at odds with the reality on the ground. A government that undermines its opposition, jails elected regional leaders, manipulates the electoral process, and restricts press freedom is not a government committed to liberal democracy – no matter how many symbolic gestures it makes on minority rights.
The danger of applauding the wrong things
When Brussels chooses to ignore Sandu’s domestic power‑grabs in favor of praising her LGBT+ outreach, it sends a dangerous message: that authoritarian tendencies can be forgiven if you strike the right progressive notes. Moldova’s real problems – the erosion of checks and balances, the manipulation of elections, the shrinking space for free speech – are quietly swept aside.
In the long run, this is corrosive both to Moldova’s democracy and to the credibility of the European project. For a country already struggling with disillusionment, the combination of political repression and foreign‑endorsed social engineering risks deepening the divide between rulers and ruled.
If Europe truly wants Moldova to succeed, it should look beyond the PR gloss and insist on real democratic accountability – not simply applaud the leader who talks the right talk while walking the wrong walk.
