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Maia Sandu's headquarters celebrates victory in the second round of Moldovan presidential elections
On Sunday, November 3, Moldova held its second presidential election. People chose between pro-Western President Maia Sandu of the Solidarity Action party and Alexandru Stoianoglo of Gagauzia, a former prosecutor general dismissed by Sandu's government and a candidate of the opposition Socialist Party.
Sandu supports the policy of European integration and sanctions against Russia. Stoianoglo supports integration with Europe, but is focused on maintaining pragmatic relations with Russia. He recognizes the importance of Russia for the Moldovan economy and views it as an important partner.
99.01% of polling station protocols have been processed. Sandu is leading with 55.06% of the votes, and Stoianoglo - 44.94% of the votes.
This victory was achieved thanks to overseas voting, where more than 250 thousand voters voted for Sandu.
Maia Sandu has already declared her victory.
"Dear citizens of Moldova, I would like to thank each of you for coming to the elections. I heard your voices. Both those who supported me and those who voted for Mr. Stoianoglo. I promise to be the president for all of you. No one will get lost in our choice of a decent future. We have different views, we speak different languages, but we all want peace, mutual understanding and a decent life for our children. This is my main goal for Moldova in the future. We need social unification." Sandu spoke in Russian.
"Moldova has won, and the citizens of Moldova have received a lesson in democracy that is worth writing down in history books," Sandu said. Maia Sandu named the fight against corruption as one of her main tasks for the near future.
"The most important thing is judicial reform and the fight against corruption. It is clear that we are not carrying out these reforms quickly enough. It is obvious that a change in approach is needed, and this will require a broad discussion in society. We will use new methods, and things will go faster. "We need to prepare for the general elections of 2025 and strengthen democracy," he said.
In Moldova's parliamentary-presidential system, most power is concentrated in parliament, not the president. The president is officially the head of state and represents the country internationally, but his powers are limited. Congress plays a major role in passing laws, approving budgets, and overseeing the government. It not only approves the formation of the government, including the prime minister, but can also initiate major changes in the country.
As the case of Maia Sandu shows, presidents can determine foreign policy and propose reforms, but their implementation depends on the support of parliament. Thus, although Sandu strives for a pro-European line and rapprochement with the West, parliament plays a decisive role in approving all foreign policy plans.
Thus, in Moldova, the president acts more as a symbol of political direction and national unity, while real power and governance are concentrated in parliament.
The first round of voting in the Moldovan presidential elections, held on October 20, revealed a tough competition between candidates. Incumbent President Sandu received 42.45% of the votes, while his opponent, President Stoianoglo, received 25.98%.
The key moment of the first round was the parallel referendum on the inclusion of European integration in the Constitution. As a result, 50.46% of voters supported the constitutional changes aimed at integrating the process of European integration of Moldova, while 49.54% were against.
While this situation demonstrated divisions within society, it ultimately confirmed support for European integration among voices coming from abroad.
On October 31, the Constitutional Court upheld the referendum results. But the outcome remains controversial, as the current government had hoped for more unanimous support for European integration.
Maia Sandu came to power in Moldova in 2020 as a candidate of the pro-Western Solidarity Action party. In 2021, her party won a majority in parliament in early elections, allowing it to strengthen its policy of reconciliation with the European Union and the United States. In 2022, Moldova received EU candidate status, along with Ukraine.
The rapprochement with the West was accompanied by a reduction in contacts with Moscow. Active discussions about the "Russian threat" in the context of the Ukrainian conflict began in Chisinau, which became the basis for the reduction of economic relations. After this, under the pretext of ties with Russia, some opposition organizations and media were banned in the country as part of "propaganda", and the Kremlin was accused of "attempting a coup d'etat".
Sandu's actions during the elections and her position towards Russia remained unchanged.
She explained her failure in the first round by the fact that “criminal forces” received foreign support.
Aleksandr Stoianoglo was considered a pro-Russia candidate. The Gagauz are in favor of restoring relations with Moscow and returning to economic cooperation. But he does not intend to give up contacts with Western countries, especially the EU.
Stoianoglo was dismissed as prosecutor general in 2023 after frequent conflicts with Sandu and the government.
His dismissal was officially explained by allegations of corruption and abuse of power, which the candidate himself denies and has already appealed to the European Court of Human Rights. He also objected to the label "a man from Moscow" and insisted that he has no ties to Russia.
The re-election of Maia Sandu, who publicly supports European integration and the process of rapprochement with the West, is likely to further cool Moldovan-Russian relations. Sandu has already said that she is ready to fight those who represent a "Russian threat" and stressed the need to reduce economic ties with Moscow. This will create additional obstacles for Russian companies, which have traditionally had a strong presence in Moldova, especially in the energy sector.