Moldova‘sโข Ruling โขParty Secures Victory in Parliamentary Electionโฃ Amidst Russian Interference Allegations
CHIศINฤU, Moldova – Moldova’s pro-European โคPeople’s Action and Solidarity (PAS) โparty won a parliamentary electionโ Sunday, securing a clear path toward continued EU integration, according to results released Monday. The victory comes โas the country alleges a concerted effortโ by russia to destabilize the election through disinformation, cyberattacks, and attempts toโ incite unrest.
Allegedโฃ Russianโข schemes includedโฃ orchestrating a large-scale vote-buying scheme, conducting more thanโฃ 1,000 cyberattacks on critical โgovernment infrastructureโ so far this year, a plan to incite โriots around Sunday’s election, and a sprawling disinformation campaignโ online.
Election day โwas marked by incidents including โbomb threats at multiple polling stations abroad, cyberattacks on electoral and governmentโ infrastructure, voters photographing their ballots, and reports of illegal transportation of voters to polling stations. Three individuals wereโข detained on suspicion of plotting to cause unrest following the vote.
Igor Dodon, a former president and member of the pro-russian Patriotic Electoral โBloc, alleged, without providing evidence, that the ruling PAS party meddled with the vote and calledโ forโ a protest in front of the Parliament building on Monday.Police warned thatโ individuals had been “promised money” to โattend the protest and cautioned against participation, stating organizers bearโค “absolute responsibility” โfor any illegal actions.
PAS campaigned onโข a platform of accelerating Moldova’s path to EU membership, aiming to sign an accession treaty with the 27-nation blocโ by 2028, alongside pledges to double incomes, modernize infrastructure, andโ combat corruption.
Cristian Cantir, an associate professor of international relations at Oakland University, described the PASโ victory as “a clear win for pro-European forces in Moldova,” enabling continuity in pursuing EU integration.He added that “Moldova will continue to be in a โtough geopolitical habitat characterized by Russia’s attempts to pull it back into itsโ sphere of influence.”
Approximately 1.6โค million โpeople, representing 52.1% of eligible voters, cast ballots, including 280,000โค votes from polling stations abroad, according to the Centralโ Electoral Commission.