Pro-European party in Moldova secures election amid allegations of Russian meddling

The pro-European faction led by Moldovan President Maia Sandu appears set for success and to secure a new majority in parliament during elections deemed crucial for her nation’s future trajectory towards the EU.

Sandu, who cautioned about “significant Russian meddling” following the ballot on Sunday, stated the destiny of her nation, bordered by Ukraine and Romania, was at risk.

With nearly all of the 1.6 million cast votes tabulated, Sandu’s Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) was nearing a 50% vote share, significantly ahead of the pro-Russian Patriotic Electoral Bloc, which trailed below 25%. Voter participation exceeded 52%, surpassing figures from recent elections.

Igor Dodon, a prominent opposition figure, had proclaimed his victory prior to the initial results being announced and urged for demonstrations outside parliament on Monday.

Previous Moldovan elections have been much tighter, but it soon became apparent that Sandu’s party was on its way to attain another majority in the 101-seat parliament.

Four years earlier, her party garnered 52.8% of the votes, and current projections indicate they are poised to secure 54 seats.

To create a government, it will not require the support of other parties, such as the Alternativa bloc or the populist Our Party.

Amidst the fraught atmosphere surrounding the election, bomb threats were reported at polling locations in Italy, Romania, Spain, and the United States.

Similar threats were mentioned in Moldova, where three individuals were detained on suspicion of planning unrest shortly after the election. Igor Grosu, leader of Sandu’s party, accused Moscow-backed criminal organizations for the incidents on Sunday and asked for “patience and calm” to allow the electoral process to unfold.

Moldova also contains a pro-Russian breakaway region known as Transnistria along its border with Ukraine, with a Russian military presence established there.

People living in this narrow territory hold Moldovan citizenship. Many possess strong pro-Moscow sentiments, and Socialist party head Igor Dodon indicated there had been “various forms of intimidation that hindered their voting.”

Moldovans have been affected by Russia’s large-scale conflict in neighboring Ukraine, yet they are also contending with escalating prices and persistent corruption.

President Sandu, aged 53, who secured a second term last November, cautioned Moldovans that the future of their democracy rests in their choices: “Do not gamble with your vote or you risk losing everything!”

Dodon, a leading rival to Sandu, appeared on national television immediately after the polls closed to assert that his pro-Russian allies within the Patriotic Electoral Bloc had emerged victorious, despite the absence of exit polls and prior to any preliminary results being revealed.

Expressing gratitude to Moldovans for voting “in historic numbers”, Dodon called for the PAS administration to resign, and urged supporters of all opposition parties to gather on Monday to “protect” their votes outside parliament at noon.

“We will prevent any attempts at destabilization,” he vowed. “The populace has spoken. Their votes must be honored, regardless of whether you like it,” he commented, addressing President Sandu and her party.

One of the parties in Dodon’s coalition was disqualified from running just two days before the election due to claimed illicit financing.

Ahead of the election, law enforcement observed signs of an unpreceded campaign by Russia to disseminate disinformation and purchase votes. Multiple suspects were arrested for allegedly traveling to Serbia for firearm instruction and orchestrating chaos. An inquiry by the BBC uncovered a scheme offering financial compensation to participants for disseminating pro-Russian propaganda and misinformation.

Moscow-sympathetic parties dismissed the police assertions as untrue and a staged act by the government designed to intimidate to gain support. The Russian embassy in the UK refuted the BBC’s accusations, alleging that Moldova and its “Western sponsors” aimed to distract from Chisinau’s “internal issues”.

At all the polling locations observed by the BBC, a compact camera was set up on a tripod overlooking the transparent ballot receptacles.

Election observers indicated they were documenting everything, to be reviewed should there be any reports of misconduct.

Dan Spatar, at a polling place in the capital with his young daughter, expressed his desire for a European future rather than a Russian legacy: “We voted for this four years prior and deserve to persist with it. We witness daily events in Ukraine, and that concerns us.”

Moldova was granted EU candidate status in 2022 alongside Ukraine, just four months after Russia escalated its invasion of Ukraine.

Marina mentioned she cast her vote “for peace in Moldova, for an improved quality of life, and for economic growth” and felt it would be exceptionally challenging for her country to maintain its European trajectory under a pro-Russian administration.

On Sunday, at the boundary of Moldova’s separatist territory of Transnistria, a lengthy line of vehicles awaited access to 12 polling places opened beyond the administrative boundary, some situated more than 20km (12 miles) away.

Individuals had to journey a considerable distance from their homes, resulting in the voter turnout being lower than recent years at just over 12,000, highlighting the challenges many encountered.

Moldovan law enforcement checked identification and vehicle trunks before allowing them through. Most vehicles contained several passengers, often entire families.

By early afternoon, the queue extended into the distance past a kiosk adorned with a Soviet-style hammer-and-sickle emblem on top, along with the green-and-red striped flag of Transnistria.

Conversing with drivers, the majority seemed unfazed by the inconvenience, and the atmosphere was relatively calm.

One man relayed to the BBC in Russian that he was voting for change because the PAS administration had “promised paradise but delivered nothing”. No one was willing to elaborate further, insisting their voting choice was “private”.

Near a large statue of Lenin in Anenii Noi, southeast of the Moldovan capital, a group of voters from Transnistria expressed dissatisfaction, stating they were redirected multiple times to different towns due to a bomb threat that had temporarily closed their polling station. They suspected this was intentionally executed to deter them from voting.

One individual identified as operating a “Russian business” in the separatist territory made it clear he wished to see pro-Russian leadership reinstated.