"In the end, the results were better than Moldova's western allies had dared hope. Sunday's parliamentary elections saw the pro-EU party of president Maia Sandu win a convincing victory, confirming the westward path of this former Soviet republic of 2.4 million people. With nearly all votes counted, Sandu's ruling Action and Solidarity party had secured 50.03% of the vote, compared to 24.26% for the pro-Russian Patriotic bloc."
"The solid win came despite widespread reports of Russian meddling and a series of shocks that could have toppled any incumbent government. Since the last parliamentary elections in 2021, Russia's full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine has led to the settling of 135,000 people in Moldova the highest per capita number of Ukrainian refugees in the world and an energy price shock that sent inflation spiralling to a 34% peak."
"For Sandu, a former World Bank official who was reelected as Moldova's president in 2024, it is an emphatic victory. She wants Moldova to join the EU by 2030. With a secure parliamentary majority, rather than the divided coalition many pollsters had predicted, it should be easier to push through the demanding political and economic reforms required to join the union."
Maia Sandu's Action and Solidarity party secured 50.03% of the vote, compared with 24.26% for the pro-Russian Patriotic bloc, winning a clear parliamentary majority. The victory occurred despite reports of Russian meddling, the arrival of 135,000 Ukrainian refugees and an energy-driven inflation peak of 34%. PAS's vote share fell by less than 3% since 2021. Sandu, reelected president in 2024, aims for EU membership by 2030 and will have an easier time implementing political and economic reforms with a secure majority. The European Commission pledged 1.9bn in grants and cheap loans and European leaders recently signalled high-level solidarity.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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