Moldova heads to the polls in tense vote that could steer country closer to EU or Russia

"Moldovans began voting on Sunday in parliamentary elections that could see the country neighbouring Ukraine swerve from its pro-European path towards Moscow, with the government and the EU accusing Russia of deeply interfering. Moldova, an EU candidate country, has long been divided over closer ties with Brussels or maintaining Soviet-era relations with Moscow. Most polls show the pro-EU Action and Solidarity party (PAS), in power since 2021, in the lead in the vote."

"The EU has said that Moldova is facing an unprecedented campaign of disinformation from Russia, while the prime minister, Dorin Recean, warned of a siege on our country. Moscow has denied Chisinau's allegations that it is waging an online disinformation campaign and that it is looking to buy votes and stir unrest. Moldova's largely pro-Russian opposition, in turn, has accused PAS of planning fraud."

"The pro-EU president, Maia Sandu, of PAS has called the vote Moldova's most consequential election and warned against falling deeper into Moscow's orbit. 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, Sandu wrote on X on Friday. The EU has said that Moldova is facing an unprecedented campaign of disinformation from Russia, while the prime minister, Dorin Recean, warned of a siege on our country."

Moldovans voted in parliamentary elections that could pivot the country from a pro-European course toward closer ties with Moscow. The elections occur amid accusations from the government and the EU of deep Russian interference, which Moscow denies. The pro-EU Action and Solidarity party (PAS) leads most polls but faces uncertainty as economic hardship and scepticism about EU accession shape voter sentiment. President Maia Sandu called the vote consequential, warning of a return to a grey zone if Russia prevails. The pro-Russian opposition accused PAS of planning fraud, while prosecutors conducted hundreds of searches linked to alleged electoral corruption and destabilisation.

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