Critical Parliamentary Election Underway in Moldova, Weighing Future with EU or Russia

September 28, 2025 12:50 PM

Critical Parliamentary Election Underway in Moldova, Weighing Future with EU or Russia

Citizens in Moldova began voting on Sunday in a pivotal parliamentary election that will determine if the nation moves closer to the European Union or returns to Moscow’s orbit. The vote is taking place amid accusations by the government and the EU that Russia is “deeply interfering.”

Moldova, an EU candidate country that neighbors Ukraine, is deeply split over whether to pursue closer ties with Brussels or maintain its historical relations with Moscow.

Key Details and Political Stakes

Voters: The country has a population of 2.4 million and is considered one of Europe’s poorest nations.
Contenders: Approximately 20 political parties and independent candidates are competing for 101 parliamentary seats.
Frontrunner: Most polls show the ruling pro-EU Action and Solidarity party (PAS), in power since 2021, leading the race. However, analysts caution that the outcome remains highly uncertain.
Voting Times: Polling booths opened at 7:00 am (0400 GMT) and will close at 9:00 pm, with results expected later on Sunday.

President Maia Sandu (PAS) labeled the event Moldova’s “most consequential election,” warning that the outcome will decide whether the country “consolidate[s] our democracy and join[s] the EU, or whether Russia drags us back into a grey zone.”

Allegations of Interference and Fraud

The election has been overshadowed by charges of foreign interference and corruption:

The EU has accused Russia of waging an “unprecedented campaign of disinformation”.
The government has alleged the Kremlin is using hundreds of millions of euros in “dirty money” to interfere in the campaign, describing it as a “siege on our country.” Moscow denies these claims.
In the lead-up to the vote, prosecutors conducted hundreds of searches and made dozens of arrests related to alleged “electoral corruption” and “destabilisation attempts.”
On Friday, the electoral commission excluded two pro-Russian parties from the race due to financing irregularities, a decision which the opposition strongly criticized.

The pro-Russian opposition, led by former President Igor Dodon, has counter-accused the ruling party of planning fraud and has warned of a “dictatorial regime.”

The final outcome is complicated by the influential diaspora, which typically favors the pro-EU party, and the breakaway region of Transnistria, which is largely pro-Russian.