According to preliminary voting results, the Moldovan population voted “no” in a referendum on joining the European Union held on the 20th. If this result is confirmed, it would represent a significant setback for pro-European President Maia Sandu, who had hoped to win in the first round of the concurrent presidential elections.
As reported by Central News Agency citing AFP, the two votes are seen as a key test for this ex-Soviet republic under Sandu’s leadership as it shifts towards a pro-European stance, all while suspicions of Russian interference loom due to the ongoing conflict in neighboring Ukraine.
Sandu was elected in 2020 after defeating the pro-Moscow incumbent president, Igor Dodon. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moldova, a country of 2.6 million people, severed ties with Moscow and applied to join the European Union.
Regarding the EU referendum, with about 70% of the votes counted, over 55% of citizens reportedly voted “no,” while 45% voted “yes.” However, since the capital city of Chișinău, which supports EU membership, and overseas ballots are still being counted, the final outcome may change.
In terms of the presidential election, preliminary results show Sandu currently has 36% of the votes, indicating she may face Alexander Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor backed by the pro-Russian Socialist Party, in a runoff on November 3rd.
Stoianoglo is performing better than expected, with nearly 30% of the vote.
The referendum question asked whether voters agreed to amend the constitution to align with EU accession goals, with a turnout near 50%. Sandu’s camp argues that the turnout may be underestimated due to outdated voter registration lists. According to regulations, a turnout of at least 33% is required for the referendum to be deemed valid.
In contrast, the presidential election saw a turnout exceeding 51%.
At 52 years old, Sandu is the first female president of Moldova and was leading in pre-election polls. However, these polls initially predicted that the referendum would favor constitutional amendments.
When voting, Sandu remarked, “This vote will determine the fate of our country for many years to come.”
