Maia Sandu, decorated with the European Order of Merit, in Strasbourg. His speech was interrupted by the convicted ex-deputy Cristian Rizea, who was removed from the hall

The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, received the European Order of Merit on Tuesday, during a ceremony held at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, dedicated to the first laureates of this European distinction.

• In her speech, Maia Sandu declared that the merit of this distinction belongs to the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, who constantly supported the European path of the country “despite Russian threats and blackmail”.
• Former deputy Cristian Rizea, who presented himself as a Romanian journalist and who three years ago was declared an undesirable person on the territory of the Republic of Moldova for a period of 15 years and was removed under escort, briefly disrupted the speech, being removed from the hall, reports News.ro.

“For three decades, Moldovans built their European future – overcoming a difficult economic transition, taking to the streets when democracy was in danger and opposing when the oligarchs tried to capture the state. This is the merit,” Maia Sandu said in her speech, according to Ziua.md.

She spoke about the efforts of the Moldovan institutions to implement European standards, about the independence of the media, the reduction of energy dependence on Russia and the economic approach to the European Union.

“We do all this while living alongside Russia's brutal war – while the Kremlin's missiles and drones violate our airspace, pollute our waters and affect our energy infrastructure. Moldovans are not giving in,” she said.

At the end of the speech, Maia Sandu appealed to European institutions and EU member states to support the continuation of the European integration of the Republic of Moldova.

“My appeal to the EU institutions and the member states is simple: reward this merit. Allow the Republic of Moldova to move forward on its European path,” President Maia Sandu said.

Cristian Rizea, removed from the hall after causing a scandal

His speech was briefly interrupted by former Romanian deputy Cristian Rizea, who was later escorted from the hall by the security service.

According to the publication NewsMaker.md, the former PSD deputy, who introduced himself as a “journalist”, began to shout accusations at Maia Sandu.

“He is a dictator. I am a Romanian journalist, a victim of Maia Sandu's abuses. He protects the drug mafia. (…) Justice is corrupt in the Republic of Moldova,” Rizea shouted as he was led out of the legislative session.

Who is Cristian Rizea?

Former PSD deputy Cristian Rizea was definitively sentenced, in 2019, to 4 years and 8 months in prison with execution for influence peddling and money laundering. The magistrates also decided to confiscate the sum of 300,000 euros.

After the conviction, Rizea took refuge in the Republic of Moldova. In 2023, he was extradited to Romania to serve his sentence. In July 2025, Cristian Rizea was paroled from the Jilava Penitentiary.

In March 2021, Rizea was also sent to court by the Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Moldova, for false statements made when obtaining the citizenship of this country.

At the same time, Cristian Rizea is accused by the journalist Emilia Șercan of being behind the kompromat action to which she was subjected after revealing the plagiarism in the doctoral thesis of the former prime minister Nicolae Ciucă.

Laureates of the European Order of Merit

The awarding ceremony of the European Order of Merit took place in the presence of the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

Among those who received this award were the former German chancellor Angela Merkel, the former Polish president Lech Walesa, the former president of the European Central Bank Jean-Claude Trichet and the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.

The European Order of Merit was established last year by the European Parliament, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, to reward personalities who have significantly contributed to European integration and the promotion of European values.