Moldova election poised to push country toward West, away from Russia
LONDON -- Moldovan President Maia Sandu, a pro-European leader, defeated on Sunday the Patriotic Bloc of the opposition party, who have said they aim to forge closer ties to Moscow.
The country concluded its general elections with Sandu's Party of Action and Solidarity winning an overall majority.
The election was set to decide whether "we consolidate our democracy and join the EU, or whether Russia drags us back into a grey zone, making us a regional risk," Sandu said prior to the vote. "Moldova’s future must be decided by Moldovans, not Moscow."
With almost all ballots counted, the incumbent PAS got 50.16% of the vote, winning 55 of the 101 parliamentary seats in parliament, as per the election commission’s website. The Patriotic Bloc got 24.19% of the votes.
The total voter turnout was just over 50%, with more women voting than men.
Moldova, an Eastern European country, was part of the Soviet republic until 1991. Sandu’s reelection came amidst an election that was laced with allegations of Russian interference and was marred by fake bomb threats. There were attempted cyberattacks on polling stations.
Russia denied the claims that said it had attempted to interfere in the elections.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X, "Moldova, you’ve done it again. No attempt to sow fear or division could break your resolve. You made your choice clear: Europe. Democracy. Freedom. Our door is open. And we will stand with you every step of the way. The future is yours."
French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Sandu, saying, "Despite the attempts at interference and pressure, the choice of the people of the Republic of Moldova has asserted itself with force."
"France stands by Moldova in its European project and in its momentum of freedom and sovereignty," he said in a post on X.
Moldova rests between Romania, and Ukraine. The country applied in 2022 to be a member of the European Union, and the reelection of a pro-European government could make the path to membership more favorable. Moldova has a candidate status to the EU.
The country with 2.4 million inhabitants, had accepted more Ukrainian refugees per capita since the war. The United Nations Food Programme noted that "this has led to a significant increase in poverty rates." The poverty has risen from 25% before the war to 33.6 % in 2025.
