In his hybrid battle in opposition to the EU, Putin is utilizing faith and holy diplomacy to undermine Moldova’s aspiration to EU membership
At the United Nations and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Moldovan lobbyists in cassock – or with out – utilized by President Putin and Patriarch Kirill main the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow (ROC) have lately loudly accused the Moldovan State of grave violations of spiritual freedom.
One of their aims is to dam Moldova’s path to EU membership. Their fundamental propagandist is Rev. Marchel Michaescu, the Archbishop of the Moldovan Orthodox Church (MOC) subordinated to Patriarch Kirill.
The European Parliament can be a goal of Moscow’s propagandists. Recently, two Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have lent them their voice: MEP Fernand Kartheiser and MEP Barbara Bonte.
MEP Fernand Kartheiser is the only consultant of the Luxembourg “Alternative Democratic Reform Party” (ADR) within the European Parliament. In June 2025, he was expelled from the European Conservatives and Reformists political group (ECR) for visiting Russia regardless of the political line of the ECR.
MEP Barbara Bonte (Patriots for Europe Political Group of Viktor Orban and Marine Le Pen) was sitting within the Flemish Parliament from 2014 to 2015 as a member of the Belgian extreme-right and separatist Vlaams Belang.
MEP Fernand Kartheiser, a goal of Putin’s lobbyists within the Parliament
On 7 May 2025, MEP Fernand Kartheiser addressed the next query to the Commission:
“On 17 April 2025, the Moldovan authorities prevented Archbishop Marchel, of the Moldovan Orthodox Church linked to the Moscow Patriarchate, from travelling to Jerusalem for the the Holy Fire Ceremony. He was detained at Chisinau airport with none official clarification, elevating issues about respect for non secular freedom.
As the EU has opened accession negotiations with Moldova, the nation is obliged to completely respect the basic ideas of the Union, such because the rule of regulation, human rights and spiritual freedoms. Any failure to respect these values might jeopardise its future inside the European Union.
In mild of the above:
1.What is the Commission’s view of this incident? Does the Commission view this as an infringement of spiritual freedom in Moldova?
2.Does the Commission intend to boost this problem with the Moldovan authorities and warn them that they need to keep away from the sort of abuse in Moldova that now we have seen perpetrated in Ukraine, specifically in opposition to Orthodox Christians belonging to the Moscow Patriarchate or Russian-speaking residents?”
No doubt that these questions had been whispered in his ear, in a method or one other, by Moldovan propagandists.
On 21 August 2025, the European Commission answered:
“The Commission notes the issues concerning the alleged incident involving Archbishop Marchel of the Moldovan Orthodox Church.
The 2024 Enlargement Report (*) highlights that Moldova largely upholds the liberty of faith and perception, with no documented violations reported.
The nation has carried out a nationwide technique aimed toward cultivating tolerance to handle points corresponding to racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and different types of intolerance, in accordance with the Commission’s steering. A brand new enlargement report for 2025 is anticipated to be launched within the fall of 2025.
The Commission stays dedicated to upholding the ideas of rule of regulation, human rights and elementary freedoms, together with the liberty of faith or perception, as core EU values. These ideas are central to Moldova’s EU accession course of.”
Belgian MEP Barbara Bonte, one other goal of Putin’s lobbyists within the Parliament
On 3 October 2025, MEP Barbara Bonte requested the European Commission the next written parliamentary query:
In a letter to the UN, the NGO ‘Zmogaus Teisiu Apsauga’ stories a number of instances of discrimination on grounds of faith in opposition to members of the Orthodox Church of Moldova (59th session of the UN Human Rights Council, ref. A/HRC/59/NGO/115). Among different issues, journey restrictions, confiscation of private property, monetary sanctions and revocation of property rights in favour of one other Church are mentioned to be going down with the assist of the federal government.
However, as a candidate nation, Moldova is required to adjust to Article 10 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.
1.Is the Commission conscious of those violations of spiritual freedom in Moldova?
2.Has the Commission raised this problem with the Moldovan Government?
3.What concrete steps is the Commission taking to observe the state of affairs in Moldova?
As of the publication date of this text, it was too early to anticipate a solution however the technique of Putin regarding Moldova is obvious: to rent Orthodox clerics and different propagandists to strategy ‘marginal’ MEPs and others of far-right and extreme-right events within the European Parliament to realize a political agenda aiming at blocking the entry of Moldova to EU membership.
MEPs must search for dependable sources of data earlier than asking parliamentary questions when they’re approached by lobbyists.
EU and worldwide assessments of spiritual freedom unanimously in favor of the Moldovan State
The most up-to-date evaluation of the EU was its Enlargement Report, dated 30 October 2024, saying : “The proper to freedom of faith or perception in Moldova is usually revered. There have been no stories of breaches of freedom of faith or perception. Moldova has in place a nationwide motion plan selling the reminiscence of the Holocaust and the tradition of tolerance to fight racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and different types of intolerance according to the Commission’s suggestion.”
In the final 10 years, there has not been any court docket choice in opposition to Moldova about freedom of faith or perception (FoRB) on the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and there are no FoRB prisoners within the nation, whereas there are so much in Russia, particularly Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The present and former UN Special Rapporteurs on FoRB haven’t expressed particular issues in regards to the state of affairs in Moldova.
The final annual report of the U.S. State Department mentions some disputes between the Bessarabian Orthodox Church (BOC) and the Moldovan Orthodox Church (MOC) however no FoRB violations by the State.
According to the 2025 World Report of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN International) hailed by Pope Leo XIV, the battle in Ukraine has significantly strained the relations of the MOC with each the BOC and the State as a result of the MOC Metropolitan Vladimir reaffirmed its full allegiance to the Russian Orthodox Church. This led to inner dissent within the MOC and the cut up then resulted in a shift with over 60 clergymen deciding to wilfully be a part of the Metropolis of Bessarabia by December 2023. Since then, the interior secessions from the MOC and transfers to the BOC jurisdiction have continued. This has led to ongoing and rising disputes between the 2 Orthodox Churches over property and jurisdiction. The Catholic ACN report clearly distances itself from the narrative and accusations of the MOC Archbishop Marchel.
Most Orthodox adherents (roughly 90 %) belong to the MOC, which is subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church; the remaining 10 % belong to the BOC, which falls underneath the Romanian Orthodox Church.
(*) “The “Enlargement Report” is a complete evaluation by the European Commission of a rustic’s progress and readiness to affix the European Union, based mostly on outlined political, financial and authorized standards.”
