Budget Watch: Moldova’s budget deficit hit 7.7 billion lei in the first five months of 2026, driven by faster spending growth than revenue and a sharp drop in foreign grants. EU Accession & Governance: Parliament adopted in first reading a reform to align Moldova’s anti–money laundering service with European standards, including a new “financial intelligence officer” role and mandatory staff certification. Security & Sanctions: SIS and prosecutors dismantled an alleged scheme exporting dual-use aircraft components to Russia worth over 21 million lei, after goods were disguised as waste-processing equipment. Russia Tensions: Russia summoned Moldova’s ambassador over the detention of Russian diplomatic couriers; Chisinau denies the allegations. Romania Politics: Parliament speaker Igor Grosu called Bucharest’s tacitly adopted draft on union with Moldova a provocation, and said Moldova needs a stable, pro-European government in Romania to keep joint projects moving. Finance & Markets: CNPF reported major capital-market expansion in 2025, including new instruments and steps toward modern financial infrastructure. Digital Moldova: Mastercard launched a Digital Country Partnership in Moldova focused on digital identity and payments, including support for the EVO 2.0 e-wallet. Public Services Reform: A Moldova–EU subcommittee meeting in Chisinau advanced public administration reform planning tied to accession progress. Minorities: President Maia Sandu met OSCE’s High Commissioner on National Minorities, stressing EU accession as the best guarantee of equal rights and discussing Gagauzia elections and information environment. Mobile Rules: Parliament approved SIM activation only after identity verification to curb phone scams. Energy Progress: Moldova says over 60% of actions for integration into the EU energy market are already implemented.