Moldova Pro-Europe party ahead in pivotal elections despite 'Russian pressure'

Moldova's ruling pro-European party pulled ahead last night in a pivotal election which will decide whether the country of 2.4 million stays on its path towards EU membership or drifts back into Moscow's orbit.

- Pjotr Sauer

With almost two-thirds of the ballots counted, the pro-western Action and Solidarity party (PAS) led with 44% of the vote, while a Moscow-leaning alliance of Soviet-nostalgic parties headed by the former president Igor Dodon had 27%.

Pre-election surveys indicated PAS was on course to stay the biggest party but risked falling short of a majority, potentially limiting president Maia Sandu's push to make good her pledge of EU membership within 10 years.

Polling stations closed at 9pm after a turbulent day marked by officials reporting attempts to disrupt the vote, including cyber-attacks on election systems and fake bomb threats at polling sites abroad. Counting was expected to continue late into the night before full results were announced.