CHISINAU, Moldova – Moldovans vote on Sunday in parliamentary elections that could see the country neighboring Ukraine swerve from its pro-European path towards Moscow, with the government and the EU accusing Russia of “deeply interfering”.
Moldova, a non-EU country, has long been divided over closer ties with Brussels or maintaining Soviet-era relations with Moscow.
Most polls show the pro-EU Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), in power since 2021, in the lead in the vote. But analysts say the race is far from certain.
“Moldova heads into its most consequential election,” pro-EU President Maia Sandu of PAS posted on X on Friday.
“Its outcome will decide whether we consolidate our democracy and join the EU, or whether Russia drags us back into a grey zone, making us a regional risk,” she added.
The EU has said that Moldova is facing “an unprecedented campaign of disinformation” from Russia, while Prime Minister Dorin Recean warned of a “siege on our country”.
Moscow has denied Chisinau’s allegations that it is waging an online disinformation campaign and that it is looking to buy votes and stir unrest.
And Moldova’s largely pro-Russian opposition, in turn, has accused PAS of planning fraud.
Polling booths open at 7:00 am local time (0400 GMT) and close at 9:00 pm.
Voters in the relatively poor country of 2.4 million have expressed frustration over economic hardship, as well as scepticism over the government’s push to gain EU membership, launched after Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
“We must strive to serve the interests of Moldovans…. We must preserve our identity, our freedom, and our family traditions,” Tudor Soilita, a 33-year-old blogger, told AFP at a rally of the pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc in Chisinau this week.
