Moldovans rushed to the polls on Sunday to elect their president and confirm or not their European trajectory, a double vote crucial for the future of this former Soviet republic neighboring Ukraine, against a backdrop of fears of Russian interference.
The outgoing head of state Maia Sandu, who has resolutely turned her small country, located between Ukraine at war and Romania, a member of the EU and NATO, towards the European Union, is the favorite. But he should need a second round, on November 3, to win, according to the forecasts.
It is above all the referendum organized simultaneously which is therefore scrutinized: will the voters approve the inclusion in the Constitution of the European objective, presented as the only bulwark against Moscow?
Moldova already has a foot in the EU with the official opening of accession negotiations in June, and polls predict a 55% “yes” victory.
“I came to give my voice for the prosperity, peace and well-being of our country,” Olga Cernega, a 60-year-old economist in Chisinau, the capital, told AFP.
Others, like this sixty-year-old jurist who only wishes to give his first name, Ghenadie, are worried about Moldova’s “western” turn, a loss of identity and judge that the current government “has made the situation worse”, so that part of the population has been impoverished by record inflation.
– “Our destiny” –
An hour away, in an office in the Varnita commune reserved for residents of the separatist region of Transdniestria, which hosts a garrison of Russian soldiers, many people refuse to speak.
Nicolai, a 33-year-old IT expert, says it’s better to “keep silent” so as not to have a problem. On condition of anonymity, he says he aspires to “live in a free and secure EU”.
The first results must be announced one hour after closing, around 10 p.m. (7 p.m. GMT).
The participation rate stood at around two hours before closing at nearly 49% for the presidential election, seven points more than four years ago, and more than 42% for the referendum, above the threshold. necessary to validate the vote, according to the Electoral 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,” said President Maia Sandu, inviting all citizens, including the large diaspora, to turn out.
“It is the will of the Moldovan people” which must be expressed, “not that of other people, not dirty money”, insisted the candidate, credited with nearly 36% of the voting intentions.
– “Neutrality” –
The first woman to occupy the highest positions in 2020, this 52-year-old economist with a reputation for being incorruptible has become a leading European personality.
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.
Alexandr Stoianoglo, a 57-year-old former prosecutor supported by the pro-Russian socialists, is at 9%. Dismissed by his rival, he calls for “restoring justice” in the face of a power ready, according to the opposition, to violate rights.
Saying he was in favor of a “balanced” foreign policy resuming ties with Russia, he abstained in the referendum.
Renato Usatii, former mayor of Balti, Moldova’s second city (6.4%), also has a card to play. With the Moldovan flag on his shoulders, the 45-year-old claims to be “the only candidate not to be controlled by either the East or the West.”
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.
The Kremlin “categorically” rejected accusations of interference.
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