Moldova re-elects pro-Western president in vote marred by Russian claims of meddling, bomb threats

Moldova's pro-Western President Maia Sandu has won a second term in a key presidential election against a pro-Russian rival, in a race clouded by allegations of Russian interference, voter fraud and intimidation in the European Union candidate country.

With nearly 99% of votes counted in the second round of Sunday's presidential election, Sandu had 55% of the vote, according to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), compared to 45% for Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor. a general who was supported by the pro-Russian Party of Socialists.

The result will be a major relief for the pro-Western government, which strongly supports Sandu's election and his push for closer ties with the West on Moldova's path towards the EU.

“Moldova, you won! Today, dear Moldovans, you gave a lesson in democracy, worthy of being written in the history books. Today, you saved Moldova!” Sandu said after winning at midnight.

He went on to say that his country's vote has faced “unprecedented attacks” on allegations of schemes involving dirty money, vote buying, and election interference “perpetrated by hostile forces outside the country” and criminal groups.

“He has shown that nothing can stop the power of the people if they choose to speak about their vote,” he added.

Speaking before the final counting of votes, Stoianoglo told the media that “everyone's voice deserves to be respected” and that he hopes “from now on, we will end the hatred and division that has been imposed on us.” It is not clear whether he has publicly commented on his defeat in the election.

When polls closed at 9 p.m., more than 1.68 million people voted – about 54 percent of eligible voters, according to the CEC. A large turnout in Moldova, which cast votes in record numbers of more than 325,000, voted overwhelmingly in favor of Sandu in the contest.

In the first round, which was held on October 20, Sandu received 42 percent of the vote but failed to win an absolute majority in second place Stoianoglo.

The role of the president holds significant power in areas such as foreign policy and national security and has a four-year term.

'We are witnessing a serious disruption of Russia'

Moldova's disintegration played an important role in the presidential vote and in the national referendum held on Oct. 20, where a small majority of 50.35 percent voted to defend Moldova's path towards EU membership. But the results of the polls, including Sunday's vote, have been clouded by allegations of a massive vote-buying scheme and voter intimidation.

Instead of receiving the overwhelming support Sandu had hoped for, the results of both races exposed the Moldovan judiciary as unable to adequately protect the democratic process.

On Sunday, Moldovan police said they had “substantial evidence” of organized voter transport – illegal under the country's electoral code – to polling stations from within the country and overseas. Police said they are “investigating and registering evidence related to air transport operations from Russia to Belarus, Azerbaijan and Turkey.”

“Those measures are taken to protect the integrity of the election process and to ensure that each citizen's vote is cast freely without pressure or influence,” said the police.

Moldova's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday afternoon that polling stations in Frankfurt, Germany, and Liverpool and Northampton in the UK were targeted by false bomb threats, “intended to stop the voting process.”

Stanislav Secrieru, the president's national security adviser, wrote in X: “We are witnessing massive Russian interference in our election process,” warning that there is “great potential to distort the outcome” of the vote.

Secrieru later added that voter record systems were targeted by “continuous organized cyber-attacks” to disrupt communication between domestic and foreign polling stations, and that cybersecurity teams were “working to combat these threats and ensure the continuity of the system.”

Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said people across the country had received “anonymous death threats over the phone” in what he called an “extreme attack” to intimidate voters in the former Soviet republic, which has about 2.5 million people.

After voting in Chisinau, Sandu told reporters: “Thieves want to buy our vote, thieves want to buy our country, but the power of the people is too great.”

'We want the future of Europe'

Cristian Cantir, a Moldovan professor of international relations at Oakland University, told the AP that whatever the outcome of the second round, it would not “end” political tensions. “On the contrary, I expect geopolitical polarization to intensify in the 2025 legislative election campaign.”

Law enforcement in Moldova needs more resources and better trained staff working at a faster pace to deal with voter fraud, he added, “to create an environment where anyone tempted to buy or sell votes knows there will be clear and immediate consequences.”

Savlina Adasan, 21, an economics student in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, said she voted for Sandu.

“We want a European future for our country,” he said, adding that it offers “more opportunities, the development of our country – and I feel that if someone else succeeds, then we go back 10 steps as a country. .”

A pro-Western government has been in power in Moldova since 2021, and parliamentary elections will be held in 2025. Moldovan observers warn that next year's vote could be Moscow's focus.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moldova applied to join the EU. It was given the chancellor position in June of that year, and in the summer of 2024, Brussels agreed to begin membership negotiations. The sharp turn to the west angered Moscow and seriously damaged relations with Chisinau.

European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Sandu on his victory on Sunday, writing in X: “It takes an unusual kind of strength to overcome the challenges you faced in this election.”