Moldova's SIS labels Romanian politician George Simion as 'extremist'

An intelligence note from the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) of Moldova has labeled Romanian politician George Simion as a "subversive and extremist" foreign actor, alleging that he intended to carry out actions that undermine the national security of Moldova.

The SIS has categorized Simion"s political party, the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), and his previous initiative, Acțiunea 2012 (Action 2012), as "extremist organizations" due to their association with him. The SIS claims that Simion organized protests with Moldovan citizens advocating for reunification with Romania, a sentiment that gained traction in Moldova following the fall of the Communist government in 2009.

As a result of this designation, the SIS"s report raises questions about the legitimacy of Simion"s public support for the Democracy at Home Party (PDA). The SIS noted suspicions that the PDA may have "illegally manipulated" the TikTok algorithm to increase its visibility. This could provide grounds for the expulsion of the PDA from the Moldovan Parliament.

The SIS did not make a definitive conclusion regarding the PDA"s status; instead, the report is intended for the Constitutional Court of Moldova (CCM), which will determine whether the PDA should remain in Parliament based on the SIS"s findings.

This situation has drawn parallels to recent events in Romania, where intelligence reports indicated that the 2024 presidential elections were compromised by alleged Russian interference, leading to the cancellation of those elections and the barring of candidate Călin Georgescu from future participation.

It remains to be seen how the CCM will respond to the SIS report regarding the PDA and whether it will take any action similar to that of the Romanian Constitutional Court.