Europe: In Moldova, the “no” to the referendum on the EU in the lead

Moldovans voted “no” on Sunday in a referendum on the principle of membership in the European Union (EU), according to partial results which would be a surprise if confirmed and a setback for the head of state outgoing Maia Sandu.

At the same time, the 52-year-old candidate came first in the first round of the presidential election with 36% of the votes. On November 3, she will face Alexandr Stoianoglo, 57, supported by the pro-Russian socialists, who did better than expected with nearly 29% of the vote.

In a vote clouded by accusations of Russian interference “categorically” rejected by the Kremlin, voters said they were more than 55% opposed to the inclusion in the Constitution of the European objective, after counting around 70% bulletins.

The trend could, however, be reversed as many votes remained to be counted in the capital Chisinau, more favorable to the EU, and abroad where a large diaspora lives.

A country between the EU and Russia

Outgoing head of state 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.

Moldova already has a foot in the EU with the official opening of accession negotiations in June. Quite a symbol for this state located between NATO and the Russian sphere of influence, and for a long time torn between the two camps.

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.

We voted in Transnistria

Facing her, no heavyweight but a string of ten candidates, most of them considered to be more or less linked to Moscow behind speeches of “neutrality”. Some speak Russian, in addition to the official language of Romanian.

His rival in the second round, Alexandr Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor dismissed by his rival, had called during the campaign to “restore justice” in the face of a government ready, according to the opposition, to violate rights. Saying he was in favor of a “balanced” foreign policy reconnecting with Russia, he abstained from voting in the referendum.

From the opening of the polling stations, where the national anthem sounded, to the closing, Moldovans responded, including those from the separatist region of Transdniestria, which hosts a garrison of Russian soldiers.

Influence of Russia

The participation rate rose to 51.6% for the presidential election, more than four years ago, and almost 50% for the referendum, above the threshold necessary to validate the vote, according to the Election Commission which did not report any major incidents.

Between corruption and disinformation operations, the police have carried out 350 searches in recent months and carried out hundreds of arrests of suspects accused of wanting to disrupt the electoral process on behalf of Moscow.

An “unprecedented” vote-buying scheme has been revealed, targeting up to a quarter of expected voters at the polls in the country of 2.6 million people. “This vote will determine our destiny for many decades,” Maia Sandu warned in the morning. “It is the will of the Moldovan people” that must be expressed, “not that of other people, not dirty money,” she insisted.

According to the WatchDog think tank, Russia spent around a hundred million dollars to influence the vote. With, in the maneuver, the oligarch Ilan Shor, refugee in Moscow after a conviction for fraud.

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