Maia Sandu condemns online attacks over Eurovision vote

President of Moldova Maia Sandu has said that the online reactions following the scores awarded by the Moldovan jury at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 revealed a worrying trend of “immediate public execution,” which she believes is damaging the social climate and discouraging people from participating in public life.

Sandu made the remarks during the television program Jurnal Politic, commenting on the controversy surrounding the difference between the Moldovan public vote, which awarded 12 points to Romania, and the Moldovan jury vote, which gave only three points to Romania’s representative, Alexandra Căpitănescu, CE Report quotes MOLDPRES.

“I understand the disappointment felt by part of society regarding the score given by the Moldovan jury,” Sandu said, noting both the geopolitical dimension of the contest and appreciation for Romania’s performance.

However, she argued that the reaction on social media went beyond the limits of normal debate.

“What happened in response to the jury’s score was an immediate public execution, and we are seeing more and more of these reactions in the online space,” Sandu said.

According to the Moldovan president, social media platforms tend to encourage impulsive and emotional reactions, making it more difficult for society to maintain balanced and constructive dialogue.

“We cannot build a positive society this way. We need optimism and appreciation,” she said, adding that such reactions may discourage people from taking part in public initiatives and civic activities.

Addressing the broader debate over Eurovision voting, Sandu said that competition results are shaped by both artistic performance and geopolitical factors.

“There is a geopolitical component, and there is also artistic performance,” she noted, stressing that heated arguments over voting scores bring little real benefit.

The president also commented on the result achieved by Satoshi, who finished eighth in the competition. Sandu said that Moldova would have been capable of hosting Eurovision had the artist won the contest.

“In recent years, we have demonstrated that we can organize major events extremely well,” she said, referring to the hosting of the European Political Community Summit 2023 in Chișinău.

Sandu also thanked Satoshi for promoting Moldova’s image abroad and said his participation could help increase international interest in the country as a tourist destination.

“We want European Union member states to get to know us better, because they will ultimately vote on Moldova’s accession,” the president said.

Photo: Wikipedia