Moldova re-elected its pro-Western president in a vote marred by Russian interference and bomb threats

Moldova's pro-Western President Maia Sandu has won a second term in a crucial presidential runoff against a Russia-friendly opponent, in a race overshadowed by claims of Russian interference, voter fraud and intimidation in the candidate country of the European Union.

With almost 99 percent of the votes counted in the second round of presidential elections held on Sunday, Sandu had 55 percent of the votes, compared to 45 percent for Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor, according to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC). general who was supported by the pro-Russian Party of Socialists.

The result will come as a major relief to the pro-Western government, which strongly supported Sandu's candidacy and its push for closer Western ties on Moldova's path to the EU.

“Moldova, you have conquered! Today, dear Moldovans, you have given a lesson in democracy worth writing in the history books. Today you saved Moldova!” Sandu said after claiming victory after midnight.

She further alleged that her country's ballot box had faced an “unprecedented attack” through alleged schemes including dirty money, vote buying and electoral interference “by hostile forces from outside the country” and criminal groups.

“You have shown that nothing can stand in the way of the power of the people if they choose to speak through their voice,” she added.

Stoianoglo told the media before the final counting of votes that “everyone's voice deserves respect” and that he hopes “from now on we will put an end to the hatred and division that has been imposed on us.” It is not clear whether he has publicly commented on his election defeat.

When polling stations closed locally at 9 p.m., the turnout was more than 1.68 million people – about 54 percent of eligible voters, according to the CEC. Moldova's large diaspora, which cast a record number of more than 325,000 votes, voted heavily in favor of Sandu in the second round.

In the first round, held on October 20, Sandu won 42 percent of the vote, but failed to win an outright majority over second-place Stoianoglo.

The presidential role has significant powers in areas such as foreign policy and national security and has a four-year term.

'We see enormous interference by Russia'

The Moldovan diaspora played a key role in the presidential elections and in a nationwide referendum on October 20, when a narrow majority of 50.35 percent voted to secure Moldova's path to EU membership. But the results of the ballots, including Sunday's, were overshadowed by allegations of a massive vote-buying scheme and voter intimidation.

Rather than gaining the overwhelming support Sandu had hoped for, the results of both races revealed the Moldovan judiciary's inability to adequately protect the democratic process.

On Sunday, Moldovan police said they had “reasonable evidence” of organized transportation of voters – illegal under the country's electoral law – to polling stations from within the country and from abroad. Police said they were “investigating and recording evidence related to airlift activities from Russia to Belarus, Azerbaijan and Turkey.”

“Such measures are taken to protect the integrity of the electoral process and to ensure that every citizen's vote is cast freely, without undue pressure or influence,” police said.

The Moldovan Foreign Ministry said on Sunday afternoon that polling stations in Frankfurt, Germany, and Liverpool and Northampton in Britain were targeted by hoax bomb threats, which were “merely intended to stop the voting process.”

Stanislav Secrieru, the president's national security adviser, wrote of

Secrieru later added that national voter registration systems were being targeted by “continuous coordinated cyber attacks” to disrupt connections between domestic polling places and those abroad, and that cybersecurity teams were “working to counter these threats and ensure the continuity of the system to guarantee'.

Moldova's Prime Minister Dorin Recean said people across the country had received “anonymous death threats via phone calls” in what he called “an extreme attack” to frighten voters in the former Soviet republic, which has a population of about 2.5 million. to make.

After casting her vote in Chisinau, Sandu told reporters: “Thieves want to buy our vote, thieves want to buy our country, but the power of the people is infinitely greater.”

'We want a European future'

Cristian Cantir, a Moldovan associate professor of international relations at Oakland University, told AP that whatever the outcome of the second round, geopolitical tensions “will not subside.” “On the contrary, I expect that geopolitical polarization will be strengthened by the campaign for the 2025 parliamentary elections.”

Moldovan law enforcement needs more resources and better trained personnel to work faster to tackle voter fraud, he added, to “create an environment where anyone tempted to buy or sell votes knows that this is clear and will have rapid consequences.”

Savlina Adasan, a 21-year-old economics student in the Romanian capital Bucharest, said she voted for Sandu.

“We want a European future for our country,” she said, adding that it “offers a lot of opportunities and development for our country – and I feel that if the other candidate wins, it will mean that we as a country will go back ten steps. .”

A pro-Western government has been in power in Moldova since 2021, and parliamentary elections will be held in 2025. Moldovan observers warn that next year's vote could be Moscow's main target.

In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moldova applied to join the EU. In June of that year it was granted candidate country status, and in the summer of 2024 Brussels agreed to start membership negotiations. The sharp shift westward irritated Moscow and significantly soured relations with Chisinau.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Sandu on her victory on Sunday, writing on X: “It takes a rare kind of strength to overcome the challenges you have faced in these elections.”