Igor Dodon, the leader of the Socialists, addressed an open letter to Bloomberg editor John Micklethwait, stating that he suspects the publication of “actively participating in the creation of an artificial scandal” aimed at damaging his reputation: 

Dear Mr. Micklethwait,

I have received a rather provocative letter from your journalist, Alberto Nardelli, containing a series of unfounded and false allegations regarding my activities, which have nothing to do with reality.

As you may know, the Republic of Moldova is currently in the midst of an electoral campaign for the elections scheduled on September 28. In the context of the upcoming election, the opposition faces unprecedented pressure and multiple violations of the law by the current authorities. The ruling regime in Moldova is actively using administrative resources not only to pursue its political goals but also to intimidate its main competitors.

Moreover, certain Western powers are actively interfering in Moldova’s internal affairs and electoral campaign through:
repeated visits of high-ranking officials and EU leaders aimed at supporting PAS;
threats to cut off any assistance in case of defeat of the ruling party;
intimidation of the population with possible consequences such as political instability and even war.

This raises a serious suspicion that your publication and your journalist are actively contributing to the creation of an artificial scandal, with the purpose of tarnishing my reputation and provoking splits within the opposition. This clearly serves the interests of the ruling party, which apparently relies on such manipulations to influence the outcome of the elections.

I sincerely hope that Bloomberg, as a respected global publisher, will not become an instrument for political manipulation and will continue to uphold the principles of honesty and objectivity in its journalistic work.

Sincerely,
Igor Dodon
Chairman of the Party of Socialists,
Fifth President of the Republic of Moldova