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Moldova’s pro-EU Maia Sandu wins re-election amid tense divisions
Backed by diaspora votes, Sandu won with 55.3% of the vote. The pro-Russian opposition is rejecting the results as illegitimate amidst claims of foreign interference
4 November 2024, 3:11pm
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
1 min read
Official visit of the President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu to Kyiv in 2020 (Photo: Office of the President in Ukraine)
The European Union has welcomed the re-election of Moldova's pro-European President Maia Sandu, who won with 55.33% of votes, largely supported by the diaspora.
Her opponent, Alexandr Stoianoglo, backed by the Socialists, received 44.67% and labeled the result illegitimate, citing alleged irregularities and reduced polling stations in Russia.
European leaders praised Sandu's win as a step towards a European future, despite what they called Russian interference, including bomb threats and cyberattacks.
Sandu's pro-EU stance has deepened Moldova's polarisation. While she lost in Moldova's domestic vote, the diaspora's support abroad proved decisive.
The Socialists condemned Sandu's victory, claiming many Moldovans felt “betrayed.”
Sandu, who first became president in 2020, applied for EU membership in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a step supported in a recent referendum by a narrow majority of Moldovans.
