Ruling Pro-EU Party Wins Moldova’s Parliamentary Elections Amid Fears of Russian Interference 

Moldova’s ruling pro-European Union party won Sunday’s parliamentary elections, in a vote that was marred by allegations of Russian interference and widely viewed as a choice between closer integration with the EU or Moscow, CNN reported. 

With nearly all votes counted, the country’s election commission announced early Monday that the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) secured 50.05 percent of the vote, while the pro-Russian opposition Patriotic Bloc gained a little more than 24 percent.  

The official tally is expected later on Monday, but the outcome shows that the PAS of President Maia Sandu is expected to retain its majority in parliament. 

Meanwhile, former President Igor Dodon of the Patriotic Bloc called for protests in front of the legislature. 

The results of Sunday’s elections come amid widespread concerns that Russia was attempting to influence the elections. 

Moldovan authorities have accused Moscow of funneling billions of dollars into pro-Kremlin parties, organizing vote-buying schemes and propaganda, including recruiting priests to influence congregations.  

Russia has denied allegations of interference. 

On Friday, Moldova’s Central Electoral Commission over the weekend banned the pro-Russian opposition party Greater Moldova from participating in Sunday’s parliamentary election following suspicions of illegal financing, Reuters noted. 

It was the second such exclusion in a week that has intensified concerns about Moscow’s meddling and the country’s future European Union membership,  

Sunday’s elections were seen as a decisive vote for the former Soviet republic of 2.4 million people, which is wedged between Ukraine and Romania. Since the end of the Cold War, it has veered between pro-Western and pro-Russian courses. 

Analysts explained that the vote’s outcome was closely monitored across the EU, where fears remain high that Russia could exploit Moldova as part of its broader hybrid campaign against the West, the Guardian wrote. 

A western diplomat called Moldova’s trajectory “disproportionately big for Europe,” while intelligence officials described the country as a Kremlin priority after Ukraine. 

Sandu and her pro-Western PAS have dominated the country’s politics since 2020, when she won the presidential election by a landslide. The president has vowed to fight corruption and secure EU membership by 2030.  

In 2023, Moldova was awarded EU candidate status. 

Even so, PAS has come under scrutiny amid discontent over inflation, emigration, and slow growth.  

Before the vote, Sandu warned voters of “danger” facing the country, saying its fate “must be decided by your vote, not by bought votes.”