Moldova’s pro-European party has achieved a significant electoral victory, despite facing considerable Russian interference. Preliminary results indicate they will maintain their parliamentary majority following what many consider the most crucial campaign in the nation’s recent history.
This win, pending official confirmation from the national election commission, is poised to advance Moldova’s aspirations for European Union membership. A different outcome, favoring pro-Russian factions, would have jeopardized this crucial objective.
Despite its modest size of 2.4 million people, this election garnered immense global attention. Positioned strategically between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova’s stability is paramount amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The vote essentially served as a national referendum, compelling Moldovans to decide between a future aligned with Europe or one leaning towards Russia.
The anticipated triumph for President Maia Sandu’s pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity demonstrates that prevailing domestic challenges, such as high energy costs and pervasive poverty, did not deter voters from their European aspirations.
With nearly all ballots tallied by Monday morning, official election data confirmed President Sandu’s party had secured just over 50 percent of the vote. This established a commanding lead against its closest rival, the pro-Russian Patriotic Electoral Bloc, which garnered 24 percent.
Given Moldova’s electoral system, these results are expected to grant the pro-European party more than half of the 101 seats in parliament.
This election occurred at a pivotal juncture in Moldova’s geopolitical landscape. As a former Soviet republic, Moldova shares deep historical connections with Russia, yet in recent years, it has increasingly pursued closer ties with the European Union.
President Sandu was initially elected in 2020.
Following Russia’s comprehensive invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many Moldovans increasingly viewed alignment with Europe as the most effective strategy to prevent future Russian dominance. The nation subsequently applied for EU membership, culminating in a successful referendum last October that formally embedded support for joining the bloc into Moldova’s Constitution.
However, the referendum passed by a very narrow margin—50.4 percent to 49.5 percent—highlighting the potential for President Sandu’s party to face significant challenges in the recent election.
Meanwhile, pro-Russian parties centered their campaign on themes of national security and sovereignty. They contended that President Sandu’s alignment with Europe could entangle Moldova in conflict with Russia, erode its national identity, and challenge traditional family values.
Furthermore, they capitalized on public discontent over rising costs, especially gas prices.
These messages resonated with a segment of the electorate.
Palina Velimboskaia, a 62-year-old accountant in Chisinau, expressed her apprehension that the European Union might instigate conflict, thereby drawing Moldova into a war. She controversially characterized President Sandu’s party as a ‘dictatorship.’
Her sentiments closely mirrored the widespread narrative disseminated through pro-Russian political advertisements.
President Sandu’s party alleged that Russia sought to manipulate the election by injecting hundreds of millions of dollars to influence voters and orchestrate a vast disinformation campaign. This included fabricated YouTube videos falsely linking Ms. Sandu to outlandish scandals, such as an illegal celebrity sperm purchase, and widespread rumors of vote-rigging.
On election day, the Moldovan government reported numerous incidents, including cyberattacks targeting electoral systems and fake bomb threats at overseas polling stations in cities like Rome, Brussels, Bucharest, and Asheville, N.C. The Moldovan diaspora, particularly in Western nations, is known to be a strong base of support for pro-European candidates.
Authorities also announced the detention of three individuals suspected of plotting to instigate unrest at a post-election protest, found with “pyrotechnics and inflammables” in their vehicle.
Siegfried Mureşan, chair of the European Parliament delegation for relations with the Republic of Moldova, stated, “The pro-Europeans won despite all this interference because they delivered on the expectations of the people.”
Throughout the campaign, President Sandu’s party consistently highlighted Russia’s destabilizing influence in Moldova, asserting that any closer alignment with Moscow would leave the nation vulnerable during a perilous period.
Addressing journalists outside a Chisinau polling station on Sunday, President Sandu declared, “Moldova is in danger. Russia can do a lot of harm. It wants to control us in order to use us against other states.”
As an EU candidate country, Moldova already receives financial assistance from the European Union. These European ties have gained increased importance as the United States, under the Trump administration, has reduced its foreign aid commitments to the region.
Despite these advancements, Moldova grapples with significant hurdles, including sluggish economic growth and a poverty rate affecting approximately one-third of its population. While EU membership promises long-term economic advantages, it also demands adherence to stringent requirements, such as product standards and trade regulations, which can be difficult to implement.
Several voters expressed concern over the increasingly divisive political discourse within Moldova.
Angelina Zubac, a 61-year-old former accountant, described the current political climate as “more rough now, in favor of Russia,” emphasizing the critical nature of the election as she entered a polling station.
Her primary concern was that a setback for the EU bid, coupled with gains by pro-Russian factions, would cause “Moldova to stagnate and go back to 40 years ago.”
Ruxanda Spatari also contributed to this report from Chisinau.