Moldova: pro-European Maia Sandu re-elected president, a new setback for the Kremlin

In Moldova, pro-European candidate Maia Sandu was largely re-elected president, Sunday, November 3, for a second four-year term, thanks to the strong mobilization of a rather young, urban and educated electorate, as well as the large diaspora installed in the European Union (EU). The almost final count of the second round gives 55% of the votes to the outgoing president against the candidate nominated by the Socialist Party, Alexandre Stoianoglo, considered close to Moscow, who collected 45% of the votes.

At least 300,000 Moldovans from abroad came to the polling stations opened in embassies and consulates, “a historic record” according to the Moldovan Central Electoral Commission, which counts a total of 3.3 million voters registered on the electoral lists. Two weeks ago, Maia Sandu came out on top in the first round of the presidential election with 42.49% and 656,852 votes. A disappointing score when she hoped to be re-elected without going through a second round.

This time, the pro-Western camp mobilized strongly, with 910,000 votes. This is even significantly more than the 750,000 votes in favor of integration into the EU obtained during the referendum which was organized on October 20, at the same time as the first round of the presidential election. In 2020, Maia Sandu obtained 943,006 votes (57.72%) during the second round against the socialist Igor Dodon.

The country received the news calmly. No scene of jubilation outside Maia Sandu’s campaign headquarters. No horns, no fireworks like four years ago in the streets of downtown Chisinau, which voted 58.5% in favor of the president. Without the votes of the diaspora, Alexandre Stoianoglo would have narrowly won with 51% of the votes.

“I’m furious because there were only two polling stations open in Russia while everyone in Europe was able to vote peacefully! “, explains Vasile Ciobanu, a 48-year-old mason returning home after dinner with friends. “We had to free Sandu. Since she came to power, inflation has exploded and we have LGBT parades in the streets, protected by the police. We don’t want that here. Our brothers are the Russians who are Orthodox like us”he continues, gesticulating. The man, who says he is very religious, declares that at church, the priest called for Stoianoglo to vote.

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