Moldovan President Maia Sandu has announced her victory in the presidential election, Bloomberg reports.
The publication notes that Sandu’s success strengthens her intention to integrate Moldova into the European Union by the end of the decade.
The victory of the former World Bank employee was a test of the sustainability of pro-European sentiment on Europe’s eastern border. This achievement is especially important amid Russia’s active efforts to stop the rapprochement of the countries of the region with the EU.
We have proved that by uniting, we can defeat those who wanted to break us,’ Sandu said in a speech in Chisinau.
According to preliminary data from Moldova’s Central Election Commission, Sandu won more than 55% of the vote with 99% of the ballots counted, beating her opponent Alexandru Stoianoglo, a former chief prosecutor who had advocated closer ties with the Kremlin. Stoyanoglo received 44.74% of the vote.
Sandu is ahead of her rival by a wide margin in the polls abroad. After processing 96.10 per cent of the protocols, she has the support of 82.58 per cent, while Stoianoglo has 17.42 per cent.
In Moldova itself, Sandu won 48.81 per cent of the vote, while Stoianoglo received 51.19 per cent.
Russian interference Sandu, who is seeking to strengthen ties with the EU, is facing opposition from Russia, which she accuses of interfering in the country’s democratic processes. Moldovan authorities have reported large-scale interference from Moscow aimed at destabilising the electoral process. Sandu’s national security adviser, Stanislav Secrieru, reported numerous cases of organised voter transport and bomb threats at foreign polling stations.
Sandu promised to continue the course of European integration, despite divided public opinion and active pressure from Russia. Two weeks ago, in a referendum, Moldovans narrowly favoured joining the EU, although previous polls had shown much greater support for European integration.
