Moldova’s Pro-Western Party Secures Clear Majority, Advancing EU Integration Over Russian Influence

Moldova’s pro-European party, the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), secured a clear majority in the parliamentary elections, outperforming their pro-Russian competitors. As of Monday, with almost all votes counted, PAS garnered 50.1% of the vote, while the Patriotic Electoral Bloc claimed 24.2%. The Russia-friendly Alternativa Bloc came in third, followed by Our Party and the right-wing Democracy at Home party.

In this tightly contested election, PAS faced multiple pro-Russian opponents but no strong pro-European partners. The electoral data indicates that PAS will command a comfortable majority of approximately 55 seats in the legislature.

President Maia Sandu, who established PAS in 2016, is expected to maintain some continuity by nominating Dorin Recean, a pro-Western Prime Minister and economist, for the post. Recean has been steering Moldova’s government since 2023 and previously served as Sandu’s defense and security advisor.

This election was widely perceived as a geopolitical decision for Moldovans: a choice between European Union integration or re-alignment with Russia.

Cristian Cantir, an associate professor of international relations at Oakland University, told Associated Press that PAS’s victory represents a significant triumph for pro-European forces in Moldova, ensuring continuity in the pursuit of EU membership over the next few years.

“A PAS majority spares the party from having to form an unstable coalition that would have slowed down the pace of reforms aimed at joining the EU,” Cantir said, adding that “Moldova will continue to face a challenging geopolitical landscape characterized by Russia’s efforts to reassert its influence.”

The election’s outcome is noteworthy given repeated claims by Moldovan authorities that Russia was conducting a broad “hybrid war” to influence the results. Moldova applied for EU membership in 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and was granted candidate status that year. Negotiations for accession were opened last year.

Alleged Russian machinations included a massive vote-buying scheme, over 1,000 cyberattacks on critical government infrastructure this year, plans to incite riots around the election, and an extensive disinformation campaign online to sway voters.

In an interview with Associated Press before the vote, PAS leader Igor Grosu also warned of Russian interference, stating that the election’s results would shape Moldova’s future “not just for the next four years, but for many years ahead.”

Election day was marked by several incidents, including bomb threats at foreign polling stations, cyberattacks on electoral and government infrastructure, voters photographing their ballots, illegal transportation of voters to polling stations, and the detention of three individuals suspected of plotting post-election unrest.

PAS campaigned on a promise to advance Moldova’s EU membership by signing an accession treaty with the 27-nation bloc by 2028, boosting incomes, modernizing infrastructure, and combating corruption.

Following a legislative election, Moldova’s president nominates a prime minister, typically from the leading party or alliance, who then attempts to form a new government. A proposed government requires parliamentary approval.

Approximately 1.6 million people, representing around 52.1% of eligible voters, cast their ballots, according to the Central Electoral Commission, with approximately 280,000 votes coming from polling stations set up abroad.