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Sandu won the elections in Moldova thanks to the votes of the diaspora
Most Moldovan voters cast ballots for the incumbent's opponent, Alexandru Stoianoglo, but Sandu stole the victory with the help of foreign polling stations. She addressed citizens in Russian.
In the vote, held at polling stations across the country around midnight, Stoianoglo won with 51.19%, while Sandu won with 48.81%. By that time, the votes in the diaspora were already being counted. According to the Associated Press, more than 325,000 Moldovans living abroad supported Sandu.
The Socialist Party of Moldova has declared that it will not recognize the results of the presidential elections abroad. The party said that the voting at regional and foreign polling stations in Transnistria "cannot in any way be called a free and democratic expression of the will of the people."
"Moldova has won," Sandu said in the evening, adding that Moldovans "taught a lesson in democracy worthy of being written down in history books." She thanked voters in Russian: "I promise to be president for all of you. No one will get lost in our choice of a worthy future. We have different views, we speak different languages, but we all want peace, mutual understanding and a worthy life for our children. This is my main goal for Moldova in the future. "Integration of the community is necessary," he said.
Stoianoglo also expressed gratitude to voters, stating that the high voter turnout (54.3%) is proof of this, and noted: “Moldova is not just a dot on the map, and we are not passive observers, but responsible citizens who know our future.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated the incumbent on his victory, writing: "Overcoming the challenges we face in this election will require rare willpower."
"This campaign will be among the top three elections in Moldova's history in terms of voter turnout. "There was voter fraud and bribery on a massive scale, but this unprecedented mobilization helped balance the situation," a senior member of Sandu's team told the BBC. Other sources from the president's team acknowledged in conversations with the publication that the results of the first round and the referendum on European integration showed the need to change Sandu's policies.