MEP detained at Chișinău Airport and stripped of diplomatic passport
The Republic of Moldova – an EU candidate country – has crossed a red line. A sitting Member of the European Parliament was detained at Chișinău International Airport and had his diplomatic passport confiscated.
This was a politically motivated act that defies basic European standards of democracy and institutional respect.
Serious implications: an MEP blocked by a country seeking EU accession
On 27 July 2025, Czech MEP Ondřej Dostál, a sitting member of the European Parliament, was detained at Chișinău International Airport, declared persona non grata, and forcibly expelled from Republic of Moldova territory. Although traveling on a valid diplomatic passport, border authorities confiscated the document and informed him that it would not be returned personally, but instead handed over to the pilot of the TAROM flight to Bucharest – to be given back only after landing, at 21:00 local time.
This is not a mere administrative error – it is a deliberate humiliation of an elected European official, a flagrant violation of diplomatic norms, and a direct challenge to the European Union’s institutional integrity.
Other sovereignist leaders blocked as well
On the same day, Dimos Thanasoulas, spokesperson of the Greek sovereignist party NIKI, was also denied entry at the Republic of Moldova border, without any transparent explanation. Both individuals were scheduled to speak at the “Make Europe Great Again” (MEGA) conference, taking place in Chișinău on 28–29 July, alongside representatives from multiple EU member states.
Ideological filtering becomes state policy in Republic of Moldova
The official reason given – “threat to public order and national security” – is vague, abusive, and clearly used to mask political censorship. The regime of President Maia Sandu is no longer merely controlling internal discourse – it is now screening ideological alignment at the border, excluding any dissenting voice, even from democratically elected officials of EU member states.
This signals a dangerous transformation of Republic of Moldova: from a partner seeking integration, to a government policing ideas with authoritarian tools.
We demand immediate response from EU institutions
We publicly call on:
- The European Parliament – to treat this incident as a direct affront to the institution’s authority and the sovereignty of its mandate;
- The European Commission – to clarify whether such practices are compatible with EU candidate status;
- The European External Action Service (EEAS) – to demand official explanations from Chisinau authorities;
- All EU member state embassies in Chișinău – to treat this not as an isolated mishap, but as a coordinated political act that affects the entire democratic community.
Europe must not tolerate this precedent
Detaining a Member of the European Parliament and confiscating his diplomatic passport is not a border incident it is a calculated act of state-sponsored intimidation.
If this behavior is not met with consequences, it sets a dangerous precedent for all of Europe. Any elected official could be silenced with the stroke of a bureaucrat’s pen.
Who controls the borders on ideological grounds controls the narrative.
Europe cannot preach pluralism at home while rewarding censorship abroad.
The regime in Chișinău, under Maia Sandu, has shown today that it is not advancing toward European integration it is advancing toward political control.
