Presidential elections in Moldova: pro-European candidate wins

In the second round of the presidential elections in Moldova, there are signs of victory for former Prime Minister Maia Sandu. The economist emerged as a surprise winner of the first round of the elections.

Pro-European opposition policy Maia Sandu becomes the new president of the Republic of Moldova, replacing Igor Dodon. After counting nearly all the ballots in the second round of the elections, the 48-year-old won 56 percent of the vote. This comes from figures from the Central Election Commission, which were released in the capital, Chisinau, on Monday night. According to the evaluation of almost 99 percent of the ballots, the Russian-friendly incumbent Dodon represents about 43 percent.

Two weeks ago, Sandu surprisingly emerged as the winner of the first round of voting. Dodon has been president of the former Soviet republic since 2016. He is considered an ally of Moscow. Before the elections, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed the hope that Dodon would remain in office. During the election campaign, he continued to offer the prospect of close relations with “strategic partner” Moscow and advocated making Russian a compulsory subject in schools.

The poorest country in Europe

Sandu served as Prime Minister from June to November 2019 before her government was overthrown. It represents a favorable course for the EU. The moderately conservative politician used to work for the World Bank. In the presidential election four years ago, Dodon won the second round against Sandu.

The Republic of Moldova, with its 3.5 million inhabitants, has experienced several political crises in recent years. The country is divided between sympathizers of Europe and those who want to maintain close ties with Russia. Moldova is also one of the poorest countries in Europe. Past elections in Moldova were overshadowed by allegations of fraud.