The pro-European ruling party of Moldova confidently outpaced its pro-Russian rival in the decisive parliamentary elections.
According to the results of counting more than 99% of the votes, the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) received 49.99% of the votes, compared to 24.28% for the "Patriotic Bloc", which opposes rapprochement with Brussels.
Moreover, PAS may secure the necessary majority in parliament to avoid a potentially unstable coalition and continue the process of Moldova's accession to the EU, which requires years of legislative efforts.
Before the elections, President Maia Sandu stated that Russia is trying to influence the election results through widespread disinformation and voter bribery.
Stanislav Secrieru, Sandu's national security advisor, stated that government websites were subjected to cyberattacks, including the electoral platform, and false bomb threat messages were sent to polling stations in Moldova and abroad.
On Sunday evening, co-chairman of the "Patriotic Bloc" and former president of Moldova Igor Dodon called for protests the next day in front of the parliament building, claiming that Sandu plans to annul the voting results. However, he did not provide any evidence
"If anything is falsified tonight, we will not recognize tomorrow's parliamentary elections and falsifications and will demand repeat elections," local media quote the former president.
Moscow developed a multifaceted strategy aimed at interfering and disrupting the elections in Moldova, including tactics such as organizing disruptive protests and launching disinformation campaigns on social networks.
However, the higher than expected results of PAS in the elections indicate that its program of European integration and breaking away from Russia still resonates with the majority of voters.