A state is as vulnerable as its institutions, and Moldova’s unreformed justice system remains one of its most exposed. With Russia winning significant ground in Ukraine, Moldova is once again in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s crosshairs.

The small former Soviet country, sandwiched between the European Union and Russia has to strengthen its state institutions if it is to stand any chance against the hybrid war Putin has been insidiously carrying out throughout Eastern Europe.

After winning reelection in a November 3 runoff vote, President Maia Sandu has now an even harder battle ahead that she cannot lose: renewing and changing a notoriously corrupt system. 

Why a strong justice system is a must

The age of conventional warfare is long gone. Hybrid attacks now represent the norm. Having a strong military is nothing without strong institutions capable of counteracting covert threats. Informational warfare, fake news, manipulation, vote-buying, bribing and acts of corruption are all far more insidious and capable of subduing a state’s defense than foreign garrisons threatening to invade. Here is where a functioning justice system should steps in, properly prosecuting those endangering the country’s security.

Without strong institutions, Moldova will be vulnerable to Russian attacks from within, especially with an unreformed judiciary plagued by corruption and interference.

Furthermore, justice reform has to happen for Moldova to have a clear path for EU integration. The fight against corruption is non-negotiable if the Republic of Moldova wants to join the European Union.

If Moldovans lose trust in the system Putin wins. The justice system needs tough reform, needs skilled and determined leadership that can rebuild trust and show that everyone is equally responsible before the law. Next year in September Moldova will hold Parliamentary elections which will test how much people really trust the country’s leadership. That means Sandu and her administration in Chisinau have less than one year to deliver on the campaign promise of zero corruption and an overhaul of the justice system.

The judicial system – Moldova’s Achilles heel

Ex-communist states have always struggled to reform their justice systems. For Moldova in particular, renewing it is as complex as it necessary. Sandu herself admitted in a televised presidential debate last month that the promised judicial reform had been slow and vowed such measures would be more efficient in the future.

Corruption and uneven judicial practices are hurting the system. One of the most jarring such dysfunctions is the 2014 banking fraud, which saw over a billion dollars disappear from Moldova’s financial system without any top officials being held accountable.

95% of Moldovan citizens backing EU accession consider that justice reform is an absolute must. Institutions tasked with making sure judges and anti-corruption prosecutors do their job are lagging behind.

In the wake of the presidential election last month, Moldova’s chief of Police Viorel Cernăuțeanu said that there’s significant proof Russia is using bribes, hybrid warfare and disinformation, the likes of which Moldova has never seen before, in its push to sway the public opinion. Police investigations have shown how oligarchs had been involved in vote-buying and illegal financing of political parties backed by the Kremlin. 

Failure to act by relevant anti-corruption judicial institutions has given pro-Russian groups leeway to jeopardize the election process. Sandu pointed out after the latest meeting of the Moldovan security council that the justice system needs to be reformed as Moldova continues to be exposed to the Russian hybrid threat. 

What can Moldova’s European allies do to help

Brussels needs to support and encourage strong and tough reforms needed to modernize Moldova’s judiciary.

Last year, the EU Parliament approved a 145 million package for Moldova aimed among other things at justice reform. Member of European Parliament (MEP) Markéta Gregorova from the Greens group said that only by making Moldova’s institutions less vulnerable can we spare the country from becoming the next Ukraine. Additionally, Romanian MEP Rareş Bogdan spearheaded an initiative in the European Parliament to secure €45 million (about $47.5 million) to help combat disinformation in Moldova, disinformation which also might influence judicial proceedings. Backing Moldova’s EU accession, Cristian Terhes, another Romanian MEP, believes that once Russia regains control over the Moldovan administration, it will be difficult to remove. That is why a reform of the justice system in the Republic of Moldova allows for a strengthening of the institutions and a better capacity to face the hybrid war waged by Russia.

Sandu needs all the help she can get to combat corruption. A overarching change within the system is critical with no time to waste. Much hangs on a successful reform of the judicial system, not least the European future of Moldova and the safety of its citizens.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.