Maia Sandu, who turned her back on Moscow after the invasion of neighboring Ukraine and brought her country’s candidacy to Brussels, had called this referendum to validate her strategy.
After around 90% of the ballots were counted, it appears that 53% of Moldovans voted “no” on Sunday in a referendum on the principle of membership in the European Union (EU). The trend could, however, be reversed as many votes remained to be counted abroad, where a large diaspora lives.
In her first official reaction, Head of State Maia Sandu denounced “an unprecedented attack on democracy» and promised to “do not bend». «Criminal groups, acting in concert with foreign forces hostile to our national interests, attacked our country with tens of millions of euros, lies and propaganda. pour “trap our country in uncertainty and instability“, she told the press, her face serious.
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At the same time, the 52-year-old candidate came first in the first round of the presidential election with 38% of the votes. On November 3, she will face Alexandr Stoianoglo, a 57-year-old former prosecutor supported by the pro-Russian socialists, who did better than expected with nearly 29% of the vote.
A strategy undermined
Maia Sandu, who turned her back on Moscow after the invasion of neighboring Ukraine and brought her country’s candidacy to Brussels, had called this referendum to validate her strategy. And determine the “destin» of this former Soviet republic of 2.6 million inhabitants. But his bet seems to have failed.
Because even if the “yes” ultimately narrowly wins, this result, without calling into question the negotiations with the Twenty-Seven, “somehow weakens the pro-European image of the population and the leadership of Maia Sandu», Comments for AFP the French political scientist Florent Parmentier, specialist in the region.
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The first woman to occupy the highest positions in 2020, this former World Bank economist with a reputation for incorruptibility has become a leading European personality in four years. In a complicated geopolitical environment, with Ukraine at war and Georgia accused of pro-Russian authoritarian drift, Moldova gave Brussels something to hope for, underlines the expert. However, after this setback, a victory for Ms. Sandu in the second round is far from assured.
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