Another “Yes” to the European path of Moldova: the pro-presidentEU Maia Sandu she won a second term at the helm of Village beating with over the 54% of the votes the former prosecutor supported by the pro-Russian socialists Alexandr Stoianoglostopped at 45% in a presidential runoff considered crucial to the nation’s political destiny. A result achieved after an initial head-to-head on the edge of the vote which saw the candidate pro-Fly starting ahead in the first partial data, only to then lose ground to the current head of state, who achieved victory thanks above all to the capital’s vote Chisinau and of the traditionally pro-Western diaspora. The polls thus seem to dispel any doubts about Moldova’s path, reducing the risk of bringing the former Soviet republic back into the orbit of Russia. And they confirm the choice made in favor of joining theEuropean Union – albeit narrowly – in the referendum two weeks ago.
Among the first to welcome the victory was the French president Emmanuel Macronwho underlined how the “democracy” have “triumphed over all interference”while the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen she said she was “happy to continue working” with Sandu for a «European future» from the Moldova. Without risking numerical predictions, this time all the analysts had predicted a close clash amid fears of Russian interference despite the firm’s firm denials Kremlin. In the first round last year October 20th, Sandu he had obtained the 42.5% of votes, well ahead of his rival of 57 years oldwhich had collected almost the 26%. The pro-Russian contender hoped to gain the support of several small candidates who left for the second round, which appears to have happened.
In these two weeks, the presidential camp has intensified its campaign against social and in villages to try to counter the massive vote-buying which, according to the authorities, tainted the results of the referendum narrowly won by supporters of the ‘Yes’ toEUwith the 50.46%. Before the vote, the police reported significant operations misinformation through sending fakes e-mail and death threats: «A virulent attack» face, according to the prime minister Dorin Receanto “sow panic and fear”. Despite this, voter participation was higher than in the first round, both in Moldova than abroad. The law enforcement agencies have opened an investigation into the alleged organization by the Russia Of “organized transport” with flights and buses to push Moldovans residing in its territory to vote in Belarus, Azerbaijan And Türkiye.
After voting, Sandu called for mobilization “against scammers”putting his away “trust” in his fellow citizens “who have always made the country progress and protected it from evil”. On the other hand, Stoianoglo he promised to be “the president of all”denying «to have relations with the Kremlin» and any involvement «in electoral fraud». Without, however, disdaining the use of some Russian terms to mix with the official language Romanian in his speeches.
The tight count at the last vote proved the pro-European camp right. But it also clearly highlighted the extreme political polarization of Village: on the one hand, a capital predominantly favorable to integration into theEU as well as the diaspora. On the other, rural areas and two regions, the breakaway province of Transnistria and the Gagauzia autonomous, strongly oriented towards Russia. The tip of the scales has been entrusted to the Moldovans abroad, who have chosen to give renewed vigor to the path of Moldova towardsEU.
While Moldova reconfirms its pro-European choice, Russian fake news threatens the stability of the country
Moldova, determined to strengthen its ties with Europe, finds itself under unprecedented media pressure. The campaigns of misinformation coming from Russia, aimed at manipulating public opinion and undermining trust in institutions, have intensified their action, especially during electoral periods. The president Maia Sandua leader who looks decisively to Brussels, governs a country which, in addition to pursuing reforms, must now defend itself from the onslaught of fake news.
This disinformation, spread mainly via social media and local television channelspeaked during the elections. Meta Platforms Inc.Facebook’s parent company, recently shut down a network of fake accounts which targeted the country’s Russian-speaking community. The accounts spread content critical of Sandu, promoting pro-Russian forces. This digital cleaning action revealed the breadth of a coordinated inauthentic behaviorwhich has caused concern locally and internationally.
In response, the Moldovan government suspended the licenses of six television channels accused of manipulating news about the war in Ukraine and domestic events. There Emergency Situations Commission he called this measure necessary to protect the country’s information security, underlining the delicate balance between preventing disinformation and protecting freedom of the press.
Even Italy, through the words of the president Sergio Mattarellaexpressed solidarity with Moldova. During a visit to Chişinău, Mattarella called Europe and NATO to unity, defining Russian disinformation as a real threat to the stability of European countries and the democratic sovereignty of Moldova.
Today, Moldova presents itself as a small country but with a clear direction: a Europe that goes far beyond economic reforms, also fighting a media battle. In this path, Moldova’s right to decide