CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) 鈥 Moldovans living abroad voted in record numbers in a presidential runoff that secured victory for pro-Western President Maia Sandu, in a pivotal race that pitted her against a Russia-friendly opponent amid ongoing claims of Russian interference, voter fraud, and intimidation.
Sandu's win, on a campaign promise to advance Moldova's , was a major boon for the pro-Western government, which strongly backed her candidacy.
However, her opponents claim her victory relied too much on Moldovans living outside the country 鈥 which has a population of about 2.5 million, excluding expatriates 鈥 to be considered legitimate.
With 100% of ballots counted in the second round of Sunday's presidential election, Sandu obtained 55.33% of the vote, according to the Central Electoral Commission, compared to 44.67% for Alexandr Stoianoglo, who was backed by the pro-Russia Party of Socialists.
A record number of 327,000 voters cast ballots abroad in the runoff, more than 82% of whom favored Sandu. But inside Moldova, Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor general, obtained 51.3% of the vote, compared to Sandu's 48.67%.
Although the former Soviet republic signed a deal with the EU in 2014 to forge closer political and economic ties, years of rampant corruption and lack of reform hindered development, and an exodus of hundreds of thousands of citizens .
Former president Igor Dodon, the leader of the pro-Moscow Party of Socialists, was quick to question Sandu鈥檚 electoral victory by telling Russia鈥檚 state news agency, TASS, that she has become 鈥渁 president of the diaspora鈥 and suggested it undermined the vote, noting Stoianoglo 鈥渨on the presidential elections inside the country.鈥
Dodon's party stated in a post on social media on Monday that it did not recognize the results, calling Sandu 鈥渁n illegitimate president, recognized only by her sponsors and supporters abroad鈥 and claimed Moldovans 鈥渇eel betrayed and robbed."
Cristian Cantir, a Moldovan associate professor of international relations at Oakland University, told The Associated Press that the reaction from pro-Moscow politicians 鈥渨as to be expected鈥 since they have 鈥渃riticized the diaspora vote in the past, especially votes by Moldovans" residing in Western countries.
鈥淭his message about illegitimacy and the diaspora will be used to amplify one specific Kremlin talking point," he said, 鈥渢hat pro-EU politicians aren鈥檛 actually popular in Moldova, and that they鈥檙e only staying in power with support from the diaspora in the West, as well as Western countries.鈥
Moldova's diaspora also played a key role in a national referendum on Oct. 20, when a razor-thin majority of 50.35% toward EU membership. Like Georgia and neighboring Ukraine, Moldova aspires to join the EU but is caught in a constant .
In a victory statement early Monday, Sandu told voters they had 鈥済iven a lesson in democracy, worthy of being written in history books鈥 and also noted the significant role the diaspora played in her reelection.
鈥淥ur diaspora has given us yet another lesson today, one that we should all learn from,鈥 said Sandu, a former World Bank official. 鈥淢oldovans abroad have shown once again that Moldova beats as strongly in their hearts as it does in ours back home.鈥
She also went on to say that the vote had been overshadowed by an 鈥渦nprecedented attack鈥 through alleged schemes including dirty money, vote-buying, and electoral interference 鈥渂y hostile forces from outside the country鈥 and criminal groups.
The results of both the October ballots and Sunday鈥檚 runoff were indeed dogged by , Russian interference, and voter intimidation 鈥 which exposed Moldova鈥檚 judiciary as unable to adequately protect the .
In the wake of the two October votes, Moldovan law enforcement said that a vote-buying scheme was orchestrated by Ilan Shor, an exiled oligarch who lives in Russia and was of fraud and money laundering. Shor denies any wrongdoing.
Prosecutors say $39 million was paid to more than 130,000 recipients through an internationally sanctioned Russian bank to voters between September and October. Anti-corruption authorities have conducted hundreds of searches and seized over $2.7 million (2.5 million euros) in cash as they attempt to crack down.
On Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden congratulated Sandu on her 鈥渉istoric reelection鈥 and said Moldovans favored her 鈥渧ision for a secure, prosperous, and democratic" country. He also addressed allegations of Russian meddling.
鈥淔or months, Russia sought to undermine Moldova鈥檚 democratic institutions and election processes. But Russia failed," he said. 鈥淭he Moldovan people have exercised their democratic right to choose their own future, and they have chosen to pursue a path aligned with Europe and democracies everywhere.鈥
The EU鈥檚 foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, also said Sandu won 鈥渄espite unprecedented interference by Russia, including with vote-buying schemes and disinformation,鈥 which he said had 鈥渟ought to undermine the country鈥檚 democratic institutions and its EU path.鈥
鈥淚 hope the government will understand the results, especially the one obtained on Moldovan soil that was a negative one for them, both in the referendum and the presidential election,鈥 20-year-old student Artur, who did not give his surname, said in Chisinau on Monday, referring to the more than 50% support for Stoianoglo from voters within Moldova. 鈥淢aybe they鈥檒l change things for the wellbeing of Moldova.鈥
In the wake of Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moldova applied to join the EU. It was granted candidate status in June of that year, and in summer 2024, Brussels agreed . The sharp westward shift irked Moscow and significantly soured relations with Chisinau.
The pro-Western government led by the Party of Action and Solidarity has been in power in Moldova since 2021, and a parliamentary election will be held in 2025. Moldova watchers warn that next year鈥檚 vote could be Moscow鈥檚 main target.
Mihai Mogaldea, the deputy director at the Chisinau-based Institute for European Policies and Reforms think tank, told the AP on Monday that the EU should focus on extending more funds to Moldova to 鈥減roduce an immediate effect on people鈥檚 lives.鈥
鈥淲e must understand that we only won a battle,鈥 he said, 鈥渁nd the war will continue till after the parliamentary election 鈥 and actually that鈥檚 where all Russia鈥檚 bets are on.鈥
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McGrath reported from Bucharest, Romania. Associated Press writers Vadim Ghirda in Chisinau, Moldova, and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.
