Moldovan President Maia Sandu declared victory in a crucial election on Sunday, a win that would bolster her ambition to steer the former Soviet republic into the EU by the end of the decade.
The ex-World Bank official’s re-election bid was a test of the resilience of pro-EU sentiment in Europe’s eastern periphery. A string of recent ballots laid bare gains in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to halt a turn to the West.
“We proved that united we can defeat those who wanted to bring us to our knees,” Sandu told reporters early yesterday in Chisinau.
Photo: REUTERS
Sandu secured more than 55 percent of the vote with preliminary results from 99 percent of polling stations tallied, according to the country’s Central Electoral Commission.
She led Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former top prosecutor who pledged to maintain strong ties with the Kremlin. The count included a record number of votes from Moldovans abroad, who have strongly supported Sandu.
Sandu, 52, has vowed to press ahead with Moldova’s EU aims even as she confronts a fragmented public and fierce resistance from Russia. She has accused Moscow of meddling in the country’s democratic process. Moldovan authorities on Sunday cited “massive interference” from Moscow intended to disrupt the ballot.
The EU yesterday welcomed the re-election of Sandu.
“Moldovans have shown once again their determination to build a European future despite hybrid attempts to undermine democracy,” EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell wrote yesterday on X.
European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen also congratulated Sandu on her re-election and the country’s “European future.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also congratulated Sandu, saying: “Only true security and a peaceful, united Europe can guarantee each person and every family the confidence to face tomorrow with hope and certainty.”
Sandu owed her victory to Moldovans living abroad, many of them in EU countries. She lost in the territory of Moldova itself, election results showed.
Moldova is deeply polarized. A large diaspora and the capital mostly favor joining the EU, while rural areas and the pro-Russian separatist regions of Transnistria and Gagauzia are against.
In a conciliatory speech mostly in Romanian, the country’s official language, but also parts in Russian, Sandu vowed to be a “president for all.”
“No matter your voting choice, we all want to live in peace, in harmony, and to have a better life. I assure you that this is my primary goal for the coming years,” she said.
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