The Latest Breaking News from Jan van der Made

Moldovans are heading to the polls on Sunday – in what is widely seen as the most important election since the country gained independence – facing a political crossroads with implications for its European future, regional security and domestic stability.

As Moldova approaches its parliamentary elections of 28 September, it finds itself at the epicentre of an unprecedented Russian disinformation campaign that has fundamentally altered how information reaches its citizens. The shift from television to social media platforms has created new vulnerabilities that Moscow has been quick to exploit.

From closed-door conferences in Paris to policy summits in Madrid and Warsaw, US-style nationalism, championed by Donald Trump’s allies, is gaining ground in Europe – raising urgent questions about the future of democracy on both sides of the Atlantic.

NATO leaders meeting in The Hague on Wednesday agreed to raise defence spending to 5 percent of GDP and reaffirmed their mutual defence pledge – steps Donald Trump hailed as a “monumental win” for the US, which he says has carried an unfair share of the burden. But while all…