Elected? That’s cute. Now go to jail

"The drawn-out political struggle between Moldova’s central authorities and the elected leadership of the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia reached its apogee when the leader of Gagauzia, Evgenia Gutsul, was sentenced to seven years in prison for “illegal financing” the Euroskeptic SOR Party. The verdict didn’t surprise those who have been closely monitoring the situation in Moldova over the past two years. It was the inevitable next step in President Maia Sandu’s campaign to eliminate all political rivals – especially those whose authority extends beyond the grasp of Chisinau and its overseer, Brussels.

Sandu has never concealed her disdain for Gutsul. As early as November 2023, she declared that she would not sign a decree to include Gutsul in the national government, citing supposed ties to a “criminal group.” No evidence was ever presented. In fact, international observers confirmed the transparency and legitimacy of the elections in Gagauzia. But that did not stop the crackdown.
It is abundantly clear that Gutsul’s imprisonment is politically motivated. The administration seeks to sideline her from public life, discredit her, and erase her name from public memory in Gagauzia and beyond. The seven-year sentence is not just about one woman. It is a signal, a warning, a political message: Any challenge to centralized authority will be met with brutal repression.
Of course, the problem isn’t just Sandu’s personal dislike of Gutsul. Gagauzia may be small, but it is geopolitically significant. It is an autonomous entity with legislative and executive powers, granted through a historic compromise in 1994 brokered with the involvement of Russia and Turkey. 

Gagauzia remains a living reminder of Moldova’s multiethnic character – and of alternative centers of power within the state.
Strategically, the region borders Ukraine’s Odessa Region and lies near Danube ports that serve as logistical arteries for military cargo moving from Romania and the EU toward the Ukrainian front. In this context, Gagauzia’s political sympathies leaning toward Moscow and her pursuit of balanced relations with Russia are viewed by Chisinau as a threat – not just to internal cohesion but to Moldova’s broader alignment with NATO and the EU."

 RT