Electoral data shows that Moldovans have voted by a razor-thin majority in favor of securing the country’s path toward European Union member
Moldova held an election over the weekend. It included both a referendum on joining the European Union and the first round of a presidential election.
Despite heavy Russian interference, the pro-EU measure squeaked through to victory. Incumbent President Maia Sandu, one of the many female heads of government these days, got the largest percentage of votes and will face pro-Putin candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo in a runoff on November 3rd.
Moldovans voted by a razor-thin majority in favor of securing the country’s path toward European Union membership, electoral data showed Monday, after the pro-Western president accused foreign interference and “criminal groups” of trying to undermine the vote in the former Soviet republic. The “No” vote appeared to be ahead until the last few thousand votes were counted from the large diaspora of Moldova, whose authorities have accused Russia of trying to destabilize the country. With 99.41% of votes counted in the EU referendum held Sunday, the “Yes” vote stood at 50.39% and the “No” vote at 49.61%, according to the Central Electoral Commission. A loss would have been a political disaster for the pro-Western government, which strongly supported the pro-EU campaign. On Monday, President Maia Sandu reiterated claims that unprecedented voter fraud and foreign interference had undermined the voting, calling it a “vile attack” on Moldova’s sovereignty.
Russia has only itself to blame for the rise of pro-EU and pro-NATO sentiment in its neighbors. The unlawful invasion of Ukraine reminded everybody of Putin's neo-imperialist tendencies.
Moldova applied to join the EU in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, and was granted candidate status that summer, alongside Ukraine. Brussels agreed in June to start membership negotiations.
President Sandu is likely to win a second term in the November 3rd runoff – despite Russian meddling.
In the presidential race that was held at the same time, Sandu won the first round with 42% of the vote in a field of 11, short of an outright majority. She will face Alexandr Stoianoglo, a Russia-friendly former prosecutor general who outperformed polls with around 26% of the vote, in a runoff on Nov. 3. [ ... ] In early October, Moldovan law enforcement said it had uncovered a massive vote-buying scheme orchestrated by Ilan Shor, an exiled pro-Russia oligarch who currently lives in Russia, which paid 15 million euros ($16.2 million) to 130,000 people to undermine the two ballots. Shor was convicted in absentia last year of fraud and money laundering and sentenced to 15 years in prison in the case of $1 billion that went missing from Moldovan banks in 2014. He denied the allegations, saying the payments were legal and citing a right to freedom of expression. Shor’s populist Russia-friendly Shor Party was declared unconstitutional last year and banned. On Thursday, Moldovan authorities foiled another plot in which more than 100 young Moldovans received training in Moscow from private military groups on how to create civil unrest around the two votes. Some also attended more advanced training in “guerrilla camps” in Serbia and Bosnia, police said, and four people were detained for 30 days.
Russian interference? Buying votes? A filthy rich oligarch? Sounds a lot like the Trump campaign. They are both Putin operations.
White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby had this to say about the elections in Moldova.
As I warned about last week, Russia has been working actively to undermine Moldova’s election and their European integration. In the past several months, Moscow has dedicated millions of dollars towards these efforts. Now, Russia did not succeed. As the results demonstrate, Moldovan democracy is strong, as is the will and desire of the Moldovan people to advance toward European integration. The U.S. remains a proud partner of Moldova, and we will continue to stand with them as they endeavor to continue to protect their democracy and, quite frankly, to reach the aspirations of the Moldovan people.
