Chicu Calls Moldova’s Secret Parliament Session a “Staged Display”

Chicu: The secret parliamentary session was a mere charade

The information discussed during the secret parliamentary session on 8 October, at which a resolution on the structure and strength of the National Army was approved, was, for the most part, already in the public domain, and the session is believed to have been used as a “prop” for the Chisinau Security Forum. This is the view of MP Ion Chicu.

Ion Chicu

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The MP states that documents concerning the army’s structure were available for public consultation even before the secret session, the only information he cannot disclose being the exact number of personnel approved. Chicu maintains that he voted in favour of the resolution, but criticises the fact that the session was held behind closed doors.

“On 8 October 2026, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova approved, during a closed-door session, with the votes of 62 MPs, including myself, a new resolution on the general structure and the increase in the strength of the National Army. So, everything that was discussed and voted on there is in the public domain; you can see for yourselves. Except for the number. The number, of course, I cannot disclose, because I signed the resolution. Whilst the MPs were voting in secret, at the same time, at the forum, Maia Sandu and her minister were openly stating what Parliament was voting on – that it was changing the structure, increasing the numbers, and so on. They were saying this from the podium, whilst we were sitting here, locked in like fools,” said Chicu.

The secret session – a message for forum participants?

The MP linked the secret session to the Security Forum, held at the same time in Chișinău, which was attended by high-ranking foreign officials, including NATO’s Deputy Secretary-General. In Chicu’s view, Parliament found itself in an absurd situation, as similar topics were being discussed publicly by forum participants.

“I’m saying all this so that you understand that this was all a charade, a mere prop for the forum where Maia Sandu presents herself as a defender of regional security. (…) Unfortunately, we must admit that this week we played the part of useful idiots. Or ‘useful idiots’, as one of our fellow MPs puts it. All one hundred and one of us,” the MP stated.

On 8 October, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova approved, behind closed doors, a resolution on the general structure and strength of the National Army, in the context of adapting the armed forces to the new security realities. According to the explanations provided by the authorities, the reorganisation is linked to military reforms and the country’s strategic documents.

Under the Military Strategy for 2025–2035, the peacetime strength of the armed forces is set to be 8,500 contract soldiers and conscripts and 2,000 civilian staff, excluding personnel from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Currently, the National Army has up to 6,500 military personnel and approximately 2,000 civilian staff.

The exact number of personnel set out in the resolution adopted by Parliament has not been made public.

This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.The translation was also reviewed by the Logos Press editorial team.

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