“Sovereign Chișinău or abyss with NATO” Moscow and the Moldovan EU referendum 2024

The Moldovan EU referendum in October 2024 proved a page-turner; the Yes votes won by a thin margin. Russia was the first to condemn the process. In this article, I apply discourse analysis to scrutinize the language of the Russian MFA through the utterance of its spokesperson, Maria Zakharova. Int...

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Main Author: Nico Lamminparras
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Carol I National Defence University Publishing House 2025-06-01
Series:Bulletin of "Carol I" National Defense University
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Online Access:https://revista.unap.ro/index.php/bulletin/article/view/2164
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author Nico Lamminparras
author_facet Nico Lamminparras
author_sort Nico Lamminparras
collection DOAJ
description The Moldovan EU referendum in October 2024 proved a page-turner; the Yes votes won by a thin margin. Russia was the first to condemn the process. In this article, I apply discourse analysis to scrutinize the language of the Russian MFA through the utterance of its spokesperson, Maria Zakharova. Intermittently, securitization schemes are employed. My aim is to divulge Moscow’s standpoint on Moldova via the maneuvers that Zakharova takes advantage of in her official statements. Zakharova’s stratagems vary. She claims the referendum failed to meet the European norms, i.e., the EU alignment threatens core civil rights. Thereafter, Zakharova turns confrontational and views diplomacy as a conflict. This echoes Putin’s views on a Chisinau with unbreakable ties with Russia; Moldova would no longer enjoy sovereignty in the EU. Once Zakharova poses diplomacy as a movement, she exhorts the Moldovans to counteract the true motive behind “the Western meddling”. It is no more, no less, than the NATO enlargement.
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spelling doaj-art-266f82cd72a04500a55d8565944bacd82025-08-20T03:32:55ZengCarol I National Defence University Publishing HouseBulletin of "Carol I" National Defense University2284-936X2284-93782025-06-0114210.53477/2284-9378-25-14“Sovereign Chișinău or abyss with NATO” Moscow and the Moldovan EU referendum 2024Nico Lamminparras0University of Helsinki The Moldovan EU referendum in October 2024 proved a page-turner; the Yes votes won by a thin margin. Russia was the first to condemn the process. In this article, I apply discourse analysis to scrutinize the language of the Russian MFA through the utterance of its spokesperson, Maria Zakharova. Intermittently, securitization schemes are employed. My aim is to divulge Moscow’s standpoint on Moldova via the maneuvers that Zakharova takes advantage of in her official statements. Zakharova’s stratagems vary. She claims the referendum failed to meet the European norms, i.e., the EU alignment threatens core civil rights. Thereafter, Zakharova turns confrontational and views diplomacy as a conflict. This echoes Putin’s views on a Chisinau with unbreakable ties with Russia; Moldova would no longer enjoy sovereignty in the EU. Once Zakharova poses diplomacy as a movement, she exhorts the Moldovans to counteract the true motive behind “the Western meddling”. It is no more, no less, than the NATO enlargement. https://revista.unap.ro/index.php/bulletin/article/view/2164RussiaMaria ZakharovaMoldovaEUreferendumNATO
spellingShingle Nico Lamminparras
“Sovereign Chișinău or abyss with NATO” Moscow and the Moldovan EU referendum 2024
Bulletin of "Carol I" National Defense University
Russia
Maria Zakharova
Moldova
EU
referendum
NATO
title “Sovereign Chișinău or abyss with NATO” Moscow and the Moldovan EU referendum 2024
title_full “Sovereign Chișinău or abyss with NATO” Moscow and the Moldovan EU referendum 2024
title_fullStr “Sovereign Chișinău or abyss with NATO” Moscow and the Moldovan EU referendum 2024
title_full_unstemmed “Sovereign Chișinău or abyss with NATO” Moscow and the Moldovan EU referendum 2024
title_short “Sovereign Chișinău or abyss with NATO” Moscow and the Moldovan EU referendum 2024
title_sort sovereign chisinau or abyss with nato moscow and the moldovan eu referendum 2024
topic Russia
Maria Zakharova
Moldova
EU
referendum
NATO
url https://revista.unap.ro/index.php/bulletin/article/view/2164
work_keys_str_mv AT nicolamminparras sovereignchisinauorabysswithnatomoscowandthemoldovaneureferendum2024