Moldova’s Viva Moment

Moldova doesn’t just “pick a song” this year. It picks a direction, and you can hear it in everything from the politics to the punchy, life-filled chaos of “Viva Moldova”. And we face the uncomfortable truth that democracy can be loud, contested, and still worth defending. 

From there, we track Moldova’s sprint towards the European Union, from accession negotiations and a detailed plan to align national laws with EU standards, to the EU’s big growth funding aimed at reforms and infrastructure. But the story isn’t all paperwork and optimism. An energy crisis hits after gas supplies stop through Ukraine, bringing shortages, blackouts, and a real human toll, while Moldova pays more for electricity and keeps backing Ukraine anyway. 

Then we pivot to Eurovision, we ask the question everyone’s thinking: will juries recoil from something this passionate, or is this exactly the kind of hopeful, populist energy Europe is ready to reward? 

If you enjoy Eurovision analysis with real geopolitical context, hit subscribe, share the episode with a mate, and leave us a review with your prediction: where does Moldova finish?

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Transcript

Hello And Setting The Scene

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Bonjour, good, prevent, hello, and salute, a duty, Madova is on duty. And here we are, and welcome back. And we are on the case of one of my all-time favourite countries in Europe. Oh, it's just like children. Everybody says they don't have a favourite, but let's be honest, everybody does. You will know I have no secrets from you, and I have been very loud and proud about the fact that I am in love with Moldova. Moldova gets me. Moldova always does me proud. Or does it? This is what we are here to discover. Now, how can we describe the last 12 months of Moldova? Well, September 2025, Moldova holds a high-stakes parliamentary election. Basically, it was a national referendum. On one question: EU or Russia? Option A wins! And President May Sandu's pro-EU Party of Action and Solidarity PAS takes a, although be it small, majority, beating the pro-Russian parties. In other words, Moldova chose Europe and not surprise annexation. Authorities warned about Russian interference, vote buying, and discrimination. Afterwards, some opposition groups organized or threatened protests. Yeah, someone needs to explain. It's democracy. It doesn't come with a returns policy. Meanwhile, Moldova is sprinting towards the European Union Union. Accession negotiations formally started in June 2024, and the government adopted a 2025 to 2029 plan to align national laws with EU standards. Because nothing screams geopolitical destiny like a color-coded compliance spreadsheet. Love UXL. The EU launched a$1.9 billion growth plan to fund reforms and infrastructure, real money, not strongly worded concern money. By 2026, Moldova has implemented about 93% of the planned reform steps. And the EU says major milestones are realistic to be met by 2028. That is breakneck speed in Brussels, where urgency is usually measured in decades. So Moldova pushing forward with a bright democratic future. Then reality shows up. Early 2025, an energy crisis after Russia stopped gas supplies via the Ukraine. Outer regions of Moldova faced severe shortages. No heating, no hot water, rolling blackouts. There were even deaths linked to the cold and unsafe heating. Nothing like geopolitics right in your living room. Moldova had to buy more expensive electricity from Romania, wildly seen as geopolitical pressure from Russia. Because you know, when you can't win the argument, you turn off the thermostat. Economic growth has been stagnant due to the energy prices as well as the war in Ukraine. Though the economy is fragile, it is slowly improving. Although through it all, even while trying to keep the lights on at home, Moldova has always continued to fully support Ukraine in its fight. And isn't that the truth of it? Sadly, the side of right is not always the prettiest. Often it's the hardest. But oh my lord, it's the most rewarding in the end. So who has Moldova picked to lead it through these interesting, chilly but defiant times? They have picked, I think this is the right song and the right mood to sum up not just Moldova, but the greater European that you know what hope might just triumph. Moldova has picked Sartoushi with its song Viva Moldova. It is sung in Romanian, Italian, Latin, English, Spanish, and French. Now Sartushi's interest in music manifested at an early age, and he began composing in the seventh grade, teaching himself how to play the drums. And one day, maybe the lady in the white stripes can also teach herself. In 2019, he launched the musical project Satushi, and at the beginning of 2022, he signed on with the record label versus artist. He studied at the Academy of Music, Theatre and Fine Arts in Moldova. And in January of 2026, Satoshi competed in Finala Naciala with the song Viva Moldova. He won the contest. Of course he won the contest. And this is another example of the very rare case of this song winning not just the public vote, but also the national and the international jury votes. Three different groups all put Satoshi at number one. Could this be the sign of things to come? Could this be the hope that Europe needs? It certainly sees that Europe find itself, like we all do, on the precipice of good and evil, light and dark, and who better to see us through the darkness than a folk punk rock and roll Moldova. Whoop whoop. Look, I never said I was unbiased when it came to Moldova. My first thought is I fear that this is so full of life and passionate that the jury, by natural instinct, is going to hate it. But the fact that the jury and the international jury voted for it, it gives me hope. This reminds me of if Stefania, Ukraine, winner, baby lasagna. Kraj, cha-cha-cha. Maybe finally the time has come that we will have a populist winner. Ah, Moldova, you have done it again. This song just makes me happy. It makes me happy in my heart. I still think the juries are gonna huff and a puff, and they are gonna la la la la la. But come on, people of the world, vote for the light. I'm gonna say it, I'm gonna go with my heart. I want it and I believe it. Welcome to Mnalvolda! Welcome to Moldova 2027. Woo!