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First entry: Monday, November 16, 2020, 06:02
Former Prime Minister and leader of the Moldovan opposition Maya Santo, 48, who promised in the elections to secure the support and funding of the European Union, won yesterday’s presidential elections with 56% of the votes, according to the electoral commission. from the country. , with 99.07% of the votes counted.
Pro-Russian President Igor Dodon dropped to 43% of the vote. In the former Ukraine-Romania Soviet Socialist Republic, an EU member state, the political class is divided into two camps, one that wants a closer relationship with Brussels and the other that prefers to maintain a close relationship with Moscow.
Donton, 45, narrowly beat Santo in 2016, but was limited to second place in the first round of this year’s election this month, to everyone’s surprise, and suffered a painful defeat yesterday.
He has sought Russia’s support in recent years for one of the poorest countries on the Old Continent, which is on the verge of economic collapse.
Santo was prime minister for several months during Dodon’s tenure, before resigning after a vote of no confidence in parliament. Yesterday she became the first woman to assume the presidency in the history of Moldova.
He proposes greater integration with the EU as the path the country must follow to get out of the economic crisis. He obtained 36.1% of the votes in the first round (November 1), leaving Dodon (32.6%) behind.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which deployed electoral observers, approved the process, which it described as competitive, with “respect for fundamental freedoms” and “the technical dimensions of holding elections.” Electoral Commission.
Santo has vowed to fight corruption in the run-up to the elections, citing accusations against the outgoing pro-Russian president of suspicious dealings during his four years in office.
For Julian Grozza, executive director of the Institute for European Policy and Reform in Chisinau, Santo’s victory would mean a “clear reduction in Russian influence.” The new president will “promote reforms” and “defend national interests in dialogue with Russia,” he added.
Economist Santo worked for the World Bank in her home country and in Washington. Before assuming the post of Prime Minister, he was Minister of Education.
Faced with the political crises in Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, countries it considers to belong to its sphere of influence, Moscow has openly supported Dodon. Vladimir Putin welcomed him to the Kremlin and announced financial aid to Moldova, whose economy based on the primary sector is suffering from a drought this year. Russia has also accused the United States of planning to set up a “revolutionary stage” in Moldova.
Bucharest, which has historically maintained strong ties to the Romanian-speaking country, has strongly supported Santo.
With a crippled part of its territory, Transnistria, controlled by pro-Russian separatists, Moldova, with a population of 3.5 million, is among the poorest countries in Europe, with an estimated 40% of its population emigrating abroad. to escape misery.
The country was rocked in 2015 by a major corruption scandal, the disappearance of a billion dollars, equivalent to 15% of its GDP, from the funds of three Moldovan banks.
“Today you have the opportunity to punish those who robbed you, who forced you to live in misery and leave your home,” Santo said yesterday after voting, indirectly but explicitly referring to his opponent. It is considered to have achieved a large majority among Moldovans in the diaspora. Almost 258,000 citizens voted abroad, an unprecedented number.
However, their room for maneuver will be limited in the absence of strong support in parliament, which is dominated by Donton’s Socialists. His victory is announced “marked” with Parliament, but “as soon as opportunities and hopes for change appeared”, judged political scientist Víctor Tsombano, according to the Newsmaker.md website.
It is estimated that Santo will seek early parliamentary elections, hoping to change the balance of power.
The new president of Moldova has received warm support from European politicians, such as the German Defense Minister, Annegret Krab-Karenbauer, or the former president of the European Council, Donald Tusk. Some Dodon supporters have seen an attempt to “destabilize” Moldova in Europe in support of the Santo.
The outgoing president himself, who assured that he does not want his country to become a pawn “in geopolitical games”, called for “calm” whatever the outcome of the elections. He will give a press conference this morning.
Source: ΑΠΕ
