Moldova holds parliamentary elections hit by claims of Russian interference

In Moldova, polls have begun, and voters are casting ballots in parliamentary elections that could decide the country’s move away from its pro-Ukrainian stance and its plans to join the EU in favor of Russia.

Russian interference is being discussed in the days leading up to Sunday’s vote, according to Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean, who warned of Russian interference and claimed that Moscow is “investigating millions of euros” in an alleged “hybrid war” to try to take control of what he called the “final battle for our country’s future.”

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Moldova’s claims that it has been conducting a disinformation campaign and trying to stoke unrest have been refuted by Russia.

Polling stations opened on Sunday at 7 a.m. (04:00 GMT). Results are anticipated later in the day with the final polling time set for 9 p.m. (18:00 GMT).

The president will nominate a prime minister, typically from the ruling bloc or party, after the vote, who will then attempt to form a new government.

Most polls predicted the country’s pro-EU Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), which had been in the lead since 2021, ahead of the election.

However, the large diaspora in Moldova is not fully accounted for by the polls, and about a third of voters are still undecided.

The pro-Russian Patriot Electoral Bloc, a group of political parties, has capitalized on voter unease over slow reforms, slow economic growth, and issues that officials claim have caused widespread disinformation.

The populist Our Party, which claims to be pro-European, and Alternativa Bloc, which has claimed to be pro-European, are two of the pro-Russian bloc’s parties, with critics claiming that they want closer ties to Moscow.

Between Ukraine and Romania, the EU member, and its geographic isolation.

In recent years, the nation has shifted westward in order to become a member of the EU in 2022, shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

A 26-year-old factory worker in Balti, Iulian Cazacu, expressed disappointment with the results of two previous votes to the Reuters news agency.

There have been numerous leaders, but there hasn’t been a single normal, adequate change that would allow me to declare, “Look, life in the country has improved,” Cazacu said.

The vote was referred to as the “most consequential election in the country” by President Maia Sandu on Friday.

The outcome will determine whether we can defend our democracy and join the EU or whether Russia forces us into a “grey zone” and poses a regional risk, Sandu wrote on X.