Moldovan officials say country must seize chance to join EU

New power lines and wind farms; swift prosecutions of alleged Russian-backed saboteurs; winning hearts and minds. Moldova's government is focusing on its next battles to secure a future in Europe and break out of Russia's grasp. After the ruling pro-EU party's triumph in a high-stakes parliamentary election on Sunday, current and former officials expressed both relief and urgency around what they have described as a historic chance.

- Dan Peleschuk, Reuters

Maia Sandu

"This is a race against time," said Olga Rosca, President Maia Sandu's foreign policy adviser, of Chisinau's goal of joining the EU by 2030. With no national elections planned for three years, Sandu's Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) must now build on early successes and address long-term pain points ranging from energy security to political divisions. And while the European Union has welcomed the election outcome, accession is notoriously tough and can take many years, requiring both broad reforms like cleaning up the judiciary and detailed efforts like lining up myriad regulations.

In a country where political power has alternated between pro-European and pro-Russian parties for decades and where Moscow still has troops stationed in a pro-Russian separatist region authorities say they must remain vigilant.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which sent an observer mission to Moldova, called the hybrid threats from Russia in the buildup to voting "unprecedented".