Maja Sandu is leading in the presidential elections of Moldova

On October 20, Moldova held presidential elections and a referendum on the countryʼs European integration. As of the morning of October 21, the central election commissions counted almost 98% of the votes.

In the presidential elections in Moldova, there were 11 candidates, among them the current president Maja Sandu — she promotes the pro-European vector of the countryʼs movement. 41.84% of voters voted for her.

Instead, 26.35% of citizens voted for her main opponent, Oleksandr Stoyanoglo, who is supported by pro-Russian opposition parties.

In third place was Renato Usatiy, head of the "Our Party" party, who is considered a pro-Russian politician with Russian citizenship, with 13.77% of the vote.

At the referendum on Moldovaʼs European integration, citizens were asked: "Should the goal of joining the EU be enshrined in the countryʼs constitution?" 49.88% of citizens voted "yes" and 50.12% voted "no".

In order for a candidate to be recognized as the president of Moldova, it is necessary to get more than 50% of the votes in the first round. If this does not happen, the second round of presidential elections will be held in Moldova on November 3.

Russiaʼs influence on the elections in Moldova

The Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova Cristina Gerasimova said that Russia invested almost €100 million in attempts to disrupt the presidential elections and the referendum on joining the EU.

According to her, the Kremlin conducted disinformation and destabilization operations in Moldova, as well as bribed voters. Other officials in Chisinau have also noted in recent weeks a number of cases of apparent Russian interference in Moldovaʼs election process through sabotage and vote-buying.

Earlier in October, Cernautianu said that the Kremlin paid almost 130,000 people (5% of the population of Moldova) to support pro-Russian politicians.

Instead, the Kremlin categorically rejects accusations of interference in the presidential race in Moldova. In the Russian Federation, meanwhile, the government of Moldova is accused of conducting an "aggressive anti-Russian policy" due to the countryʼs desire to move away from Moscow and join the EU.

• Moldova aims to join the European Union by 2030. The country is counting on the support of the West in the fight against Russian interference. Moldovaʼs goal of joining the bloc by the end of the decade is quite ambitious, as the country will have to overcome many challenges on the way to EU membership, including corruption in the judicial system.

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