Relief for Moldova after Russian scare

In the parliamentary election in Moldova, where the political parties were divided on whether they were pro-European Union or pro-Russia, the pro-EU Part of Action and Solidarity (PAS) won 50.2 per cent of the vote, and emerged a clear winner.

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The pro-Russian Patriotic Electoral Bloc was a distant second with 24.2 per cent of the vote. Another Russia-friendly party, Alternative Bloc, came third while the populist Our Party came the last.

The sense of joy and relief felt by the pro-EU party was perceptible. President Maia Sandu calling the election “most consequential”, said, “Its outcome will decide whether we consolidate our democracy and join the EU, or whether Russia drags us back into a grey zone, making us a regional risk.”

Prime Minister Dorin Recean warned that the Russians had spent millions of euros to influence the Moldovan election in Russia's favour. But the election result shows that the people have voted decisively in favour of the open society and democracy model held up by the EU.