Pro-Western incumbent Moldovan President Maia Sandu won the presidential elections held on Sunday, defeating her rival, Alexandr Stoianoglo, who is backed by the traditionally pro-Russian Party of Socialists.
With 98 percent of the ballots counted, Sandu held 54.35 percent of the votes, announced the Central Election Commission at the conclusion of an election and campaign that were marred by persistent allegations of interference, denied by Russia.
The victory of the 52-year-old former World Bank advisor, who has accelerated the nation’s efforts to move away from Moscow’s influence and join the European Union (EU), is seen by her supporters as an endorsement of the decisive pro-Western path she has taken.
However, Stoianoglo’s dominance in parts of the country suggests that her party faces a tough challenge in the critical parliamentary elections next summer, which will determine the composition of the government.
Stoianoglo campaigned on supporting EU integration while also aiming to develop ties with Russia in the national interest. Sandu portrayed him as a Trojan horse for Kremlin interests, which he denied.
Moldova’s future, a poor agricultural nation that has oscillated between pro-Russian and pro-Western orientations since the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991, has been in the spotlight since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in 2022.
