Chisinau [Moldova], September 28 (ANI): Moldova held pivotal parliamentary elections on Sunday, with voters deciding whether the country will maintain its pro-Ukrainian, pro-European Union course or tilt closer toward Russia, Al Jazeera reported.
Polling stations opened at 7 am local time and closed at 9 pm, with results expected later. Citizens voted to fill 101 parliamentary seats, after which the president nominates a prime minister — typically from the leading party or bloc — who then attempts to form a new government.
In the lead-up to the elections, Prime Minister Dorin Recean warned of alleged Russian interference, accusing Moscow of spending “hundreds of millions” of euros in what he described as “the final battle for our country’s future.” He claimed Russia was conducting a “hybrid war” to influence Moldova’s political direction. Russia denied these allegations, rejecting claims that it was running a disinformation campaign, buying votes, or fostering unrest.
Pre-election polls suggested Recean’s pro-EU Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), in power since 2021, was ahead of rivals. Analysts, however, noted that the surveys excluded Moldova’s large diaspora and that nearly a third of voters remained undecided.
The pro-Russian Patriot Electoral Bloc sought to exploit public dissatisfaction over economic difficulties, slow reforms, and perceived disinformation campaigns. The bloc includes the populist Our Party, which advocates for a “balanced foreign policy” between East and West, and the Alternativa Bloc, criticised by opponents as Moscow-aligned despite its pro-European claims.
On Friday, President Maia Sandu urged Moldovans to recognise the stakes, calling the vote the country’s “most consequential election.” She said, “Its outcome will decide whether we consolidate our democracy and join the EU, or whether Russia drags us back into a grey zone, making us a regional risk.”
Recean also called on voters to resist Russian influence: “I call on every Moldovan at home and across Europe: We cannot change what Russia does, but we can change what we do as a people … Help stop their schemes.”
Moldova, situated between Ukraine and EU member Romania, was granted EU candidate status in 2022, shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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