Moldova's pro-European ruling party leads in parliamentary elections

(Patria) - Moldova's ruling party won Sunday's parliamentary elections against the pro-Russian opposition after part of the votes were counted, but it seemed unlikely to secure the majority it wanted to advocate for European Union membership, Reuters reported late last night.

With nearly 60% of the votes counted, the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) won 43%, and the Electoral Bloc of Communists and Socialists 29%, which seeks to deter the nation from closer ties with Brussels and return it to the orbit of Moscow.

Mutual accusations hampered preparations for what President Maia Sandu described as an existential moment for the small Eastern European nation that has oscillated between European and Russian influence.

Government officials warned of attempts to disrupt the vote, including cyber attacks on electoral infrastructure and false bomb threats throughout the day at polling stations in Moldova and abroad.

Moldova's large diaspora, which tends to favor European integration, could influence the outcome of the vote. Authorities began counting votes after polling stations closed at 9:00 PM local time.

Maintaining a majority in the 101-seat chamber would allow PAS to continue pushing towards its goal of joining the European Union by 2030 and distancing Moldova from Russia's orbit. If PAS fails, it will have to try to form a coalition with smaller parties.

Pros and Cons

Stanislav Secrieru, Maia Sandu's national security advisor, said officials expect a "further escalation" of cyber attacks on the Central Election Commission and other government websites, which were launched from several countries.
False bomb threats were delivered to polling stations in Rome, Brussels, and the United States, he wrote on social media platform X, a sign of "massive pressure from Russia and its proxies" to disrupt the vote.

Moscow has denied interference and claims the government is spreading anti-Russian hysteria to win votes.

On Sunday, one of the leaders of the Electoral Bloc of Communists and Socialists, Igor Dodon, a former president, called for protests in front of the parliament on Monday, claiming that Sandu plans to annul the vote.

Sandu and other high-ranking officials have long warned of an extensive Russian campaign aimed at influencing the vote.

Earlier this week, election officials banned two pro-Russian parties from participating amid allegations of illegal financing. Authorities have launched hundreds of raids in recent weeks targeting illegal party financing and alleged Russia-backed networks aimed at causing unrest over the vote.

Opposition groups like the Electoral Bloc of Communists and Socialists have exploited voters' dissatisfaction with economic problems and the slow pace of reforms, with complaints exacerbated, according to officials, by widespread disinformation.

Inflation remains stubbornly high at around seven percent, while Moldovans also bear higher costs due to energy imports.