Moldovans cast ballots in pivotal parliamentary election amid Russian interference claims

CHISINAU, Moldova — Moldovans went to the polls Sunday to elect a 101-seat parliament in a race seen as a test of the country’s course between European Union integration and closer ties with Russia. The winner will nominate a prime minister, who must then win parliamentary confirmation to form a government, with the pro-Western Party of Action and Solidarity, or PAS, aiming to maintain its grip on the chamber after several years in power. Moldova, a nation of about 2.5 million between Ukraine and Romania, has pushed on a westward trajectory and was granted EU candidate status in 2022, a year rich in political upheaval and security concerns.

Days before voting, Prime Minister Dorin Recean warned that Russia is spending hundreds of millions of euros in what he described as a hybrid attempt to seize power, calling on Moldovans at home and across Europe to mobilize and act thoughtfully to thwart Moscow’s schemes. He said the cross-border operation could include vote-buying, cyberattacks on government infrastructure, attempts to incite mass street protests, and a broad disinformation campaign aimed at undermining the pro-European ruling party. Russia has repeatedly denied meddling in Moldova and dismissed the accusations as anti-Russian and unsubstantiated. Around the same time, authorities warned that election day could face false bomb threats, cyberattacks, temporary power outages, and street violence by trained operatives. In the weeks ahead of the vote, law enforcement carried out hundreds of raids, detaining scores of people in a broad crackdown.

Diaspora voting is expected to be decisive in Moldova’s outcome. In the 2023 presidential runoff, a record 327,000 Moldovan voters abroad participated, with more than 82% supporting pro-Western President Maia Sandu and helping secure her reelection. The current race features PAS facing a line of Russia-friendly opponents, including the Patriotic Electoral Bloc, which favors closer ties with Moscow, and other groups that advocate varying degrees of neutrality or a perceived balance between East and West. Critics say the opposition has framed the election around national identity and security concerns, while PAS has emphasized reform, anti-corruption, and alignment with Western institutions. In recent years Moldova has endured inflation, higher costs of living, and poverty, which some analysts say could erode support for the governing party, though most local polls still project PAS as earning the most votes. However, pollsters note that the diaspora’s vote is not captured in many surveys, and a sizable share of voters remain undecided.

Iulian Groza, executive director of the Institute for European Policies and Reforms, said turnout will influence the likelihood of PAS securing a parliamentary majority. “Any party in government tends to erode support over time, and Moldova has faced multiple crises in the last four years,” he said. “After four years of various challenges, Moldova resisted in the face of this Russian aggression.”

The vote comes as Moldova struggles with domestic economic pressures while trying to sustain its Western trajectory. Diplomatically, the country’s path remains tied to EU engagement and security commitments with NATO partners and neighboring European states. The outcome will determine whether Moldova continues to press reforms and integration steps or veers toward closer alignment with Moscow’s sphere of influence, a question that resonates across Moldova’s diverse political landscape and among its large immigrant communities abroad.