The President of Moldova, Maia Sandu, denounced on Sunday evening an “unprecedented attack on the freedom and democracy of our country” by “foreign forces”, while the referendum on EU membership remained very close with the majority of votes counted.
Moldovans went to the polls early today to vote in a presidential election and referendum on EU membership that marked a key moment in the bitter fight between Vladimir Putin’s Russia and the West on the future of this small country. South-Eastern Europe, landlocked and with a population of around 2.5 million.
Supporters and opponents of Moldova’s entry into the European Union remained technically tied after controlling 98.38% of the votes cast in the referendum. According to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Moldova, the proposal to include the country’s entry into the European Union (EU) in the Constitution as a national objective obtained 50.07% of the votes, while the No he obtained 49.93%. But the results could still vary somewhat, as votes in favor of EU membership continue to be counted among the large Moldovan diaspora.
For his part, the results of the presidential election showed that the current president Sandu won the first round with around 38% of the votes, but that he will now face in the second round his closest competitor, Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor, supported by the pros. -Russian socialists.
The double vote in one of Europe’s poorest countries was seen as a crucial test for Sandu’s pro-European agenda, which had urged Moldovans to vote “yes” in the referendum to affirm that membership in the EU was an “irreversible” constitutional goal.
The results will disappoint Sandu’s supporters and their allies in Brussels. Pre-election polls indicated that Sandu maintained a comfortable lead over his main rival, Stoianoglo, and the other candidates, while polls suggested that around 60% of voters supported the pro-EU path in the run-up to the referendum.
Sandu, a 52-year-old former World Bank adviser, was first elected president in November 2020, amid a wave of popularity as an anti-corruption reformer with a pro-European agenda.
Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Moldova has oscillated between pro-Western and pro-Russian cycles, but under Sandu it has accelerated its distance from Moscow, particularly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Both elections took place as Moldovan authorities claimed that Moscow and its proxies had orchestrated an intense “hybrid warfare” campaign to destabilize the country and derail its path to the EU.
“Moldova has faced an unprecedented attack on the freedom and democracy of our country, today and in recent months,” Sandu told supporters in the capital, Chișinău, on Sunday as votes were counted, adding that “criminal groups” had attempted to “undermine a democratic process.” “We are waiting for the final results and will respond with firm decisions.”
The accusations against Vladimir Putin’s Russia included funding pro-Kremlin opposition groups, spreading disinformation, interfering in local elections and supporting a major vote-buying scheme.
Specifically, authorities accused pro-Russian businessman Ilan Shor, a staunch opponent of EU membership, of leading a destabilizing campaign from Moscow.
Earlier this month, national police chief Viorel Cernăuțanu accused Shor and Moscow of operating a complex “mafia-style” voter-buying scheme and bribing 130,000 Moldovans – almost 10% of the normal participation rate – so that they vote against the referendum and in favor of the referendum. pro-Russian candidates, in what he called an “unprecedented direct attack.”
On Thursday, police said they also uncovered a program in which hundreds of people were flown to Russia for training on how to organize riots and social unrest.
So, Moldovan authorities said that Russia spent about $100 million this year on electoral processes in Moldova.
Moldova applied for EU membership following Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine, condemned by Sandu, while tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees fled to Chișinău.
Moldova officially began EU accession negotiations in June, although skepticism remains in Brussels over the country’s ability to carry out the necessary democratic and judicial reforms in the near future.
Observers believe Sandu could now face a tough runoff against a united anti-EU – and more pro-Moscow – opposition front led by Stoianoglo.
Stoianoglo, a former attorney general removed from office by Sandu, urged people to boycott the referendum or vote “no,” describing it as a “cynical” move aimed at boosting Sandu’s popularity.
In an interview with the Guardian, Stoianoglo denied working on behalf of Russia. But he refused to criticize the Kremlin for its invasion of Ukraine and advocated improved relations with Moscow.
