Moldova's EU referendum remains uncertain, with the president denouncing an alleged attack on democratic principles.
With approximately 1.4% of votes yet to be tallied, the Central Election Commission reported a 50.2% "yes" vote in the referendum. This narrow margin could be disappointing for Sandu, who had anticipated a strong endorsement for her pro-EU policies during her first term as president.
Sandu had portrayed the vote as a pivotal moment for Moldova, choosing between its burgeoning European path or remaining under Russian influence. Regrettably, she did not obtain enough votes to clinch a outright victory in the presidential election, which took place concurrently. A rematch is scheduled for November 3.
In an unexpectedly harsh statement issued late Sunday evening, Sandu accused foreign entities of attempting to sabotage Moldova's democratic structure and employing disgraceful tactics to maintain the country in a state of doubt and instability.
She claimed that the Moldovan authorities had uncovered evidence indicating that these criminal organizations aimed to purchase 300,000 votes – a scale of fraud that was unprecedented.
CNN had exposed a week prior that a Kremlin-backed network, spearheaded by the exiled Moldovan tycoon Ilan Shor, had been attempting to influence Moldovan elections, with the ultimate goal of swaying the EU referendum results.
In a video shared on his Telegram account last month, Shor had announced that he would compensate voters with the equivalent of $28 for registering with his campaign and even more if they voted against the referendum.
Preliminary results placed Sandu in first place in the presidential race, with 42.1% of the vote, surpassing her nearest competitor, Alexandr Stoianoglo – a former prosecutor general running for the pro-Russian Party of Socialists – who garnered 26.3%.
The two will now compete against each other in the second round. If pro-Russian parties and voters rally behind Stoianoglo, the November 3 run-off could be an extremely close call.
In light of her accusations, Sandu's pro-European policies in the 'world' faced potential challenges, as foreign entities were allegedly interfering in Moldova's politics. Despite the referendum showing a 'yes' vote of 50.2%, Sandu's vision for Europe in 'Europe' might still be impacted by these political tensions.
