The country’s president, Maia Sandu, has denounced Russian interference to prevent possible joining the bloc. The vote from abroad has been key to the result.
ADVERTISINGMoldovans vote in favor of the country’s accession to the European Union. The ‘yes’ has obtained a very narrow advantage in the referendum held on Sunday, according to electoral data published this Monday.
With 99% of the vote, the vote in favor of accession has surpassed the ‘no’ with the 50.18% supportwhich represents 1.4 million ballots, according to the Central Electoral Commission of Moldavia.
Moldovans abroad have played a key role
More than 200,000 votes cast from outside the country have tipped the balance, changing the result at the last moment of the recount to favor the path towards the EU. of having won ‘no’ would have been a political disaster for the Government pro-Western, which strongly supported the pro-EU campaign.
The vote came amid continuing claims by Moldovan authorities that Moscow has been waging a ‘hybrid war’ to destabilize the country and derail its path to the EU.
Accusations of Russian interference include funding pro-Russian opposition groups, spreading disinformation and supporting a major buying votes.
In the presidential race that was held at the same time, current President Maia Sandu has won the first round with 42% of the votes in a field of 11 candidates, but failed to obtain an absolute majority. He will face Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former attorney general related to Russia who topped the polls with around 26% of the vote, in a second round on November 3.
The president, Maia Sandu, denounces electoral fraud
On her X account, formerly Twitter, Maia Sandu denounced attacks on freedom and democracy in her country, in addition to an attempt at electoral fraud by criminal groups that They intended to disrupt the electoral process. Sandu assured that: “Moldova has suffered an unprecedented attack on freedom and democracy (…), both today and in recent months.
We have clear evidence that these criminal groups intended to buy 300,000 votes, a fraud on an unprecedented scale. Their goal was to undermine the democratic process and spread fear and panic in society.