Cristian Rizea was removed from the plenary of the European Parliament after he started to shout during Maia Sandu's speech, who was receiving the European Order of Merit.

Cristian Rizea, former PSD deputy and convicted for corruption, was expelled from the European Parliament plenary after he started shouting during the ceremony for the awarding of the European Order of Merit to Maia Sandu. Rizea accused Sandu of dictatorship and made serious allegations about her involvement in illegal activities.

The incident took place on May 19, 2026, and Rizea was subsequently fined. Convicted in 2019 to 4 years and 8 months in prison for influence peddling and money laundering, Rizea fled to the Republic of Moldova and was expelled to Romania in 2023. He obtained conditional release in 2025, but his behavior in the European Parliament generated controversy. Rizea was accused by the DNA of having requested 300,000 euros from a businessman in exchange for interventions with authorities to resolve his interests.