Sandu’s party secures majority
Moldovan President Maia Sandu’s ruling Action and Solidarity party (PAS) has won more than half the vote in a closely watched parliamentary election, cementing its push for EU membership despite claims of Russian interference.
With nearly all ballots counted, PAS was on course to take 55 of the 101 seats in parliament, giving it the majority needed to govern alone. The result exceeded pre-election forecasts and strengthens Sandu’s promise to secure EU accession within the next decade.
Russian interference allegations
The vote was held amid warnings of Moscow-backed attempts to disrupt the process. Authorities said cyber attacks struck electoral systems on polling day, while fake bomb threats targeted diaspora voting centres in several European cities.
Sandu’s national security adviser, Stanislav Secrieru, alleged that efforts were made to bus residents from the pro-Russian breakaway region of Transnistria to polling stations in Romania. “The Kremlin’s goal is clear: to capture Moldova through the ballot box,” Sandu told the European parliament earlier this month.
Moldovan police also warned of plots to destabilise the capital, Chisinau. Days before the election, Serbia arrested two citizens accused of training more than 150 Moldovans and Romanians to instigate unrest. Moldovan authorities said at least 74 people had already been detained over alleged Russian-linked schemes.
Opposition response and protests
The pro-Russian Patriotic Electoral Bloc, led by former president Igor Dodon, came second with about 26% of the vote. Dodon has called for protests in Chisinau, accusing the government of fraud but offering no evidence.
A third grouping, the Alternative bloc, secured around 9% of the vote. Its leader Alexandr Stoianoglo has urged Moldova to balance relations “with both west and east”.
Strategic crossroads
Failure by PAS to win outright would have forced coalition talks, potentially altering Moldova’s foreign policy course. Instead, Sandu now has the mandate to accelerate reforms aimed at anchoring the former Soviet republic more firmly to the EU – while facing down a hostile Russia on its eastern flank.
