The elections were widely seen as a choice between closer ties with the European Union (EU) or renewed alignment with the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). In the end, more than half of voters supported the pro-European Party for Action and Solidarity (PAS). At the same time, support for the Patriotic Bloc remained strong in parts of the country, particularly in the Gagauzia Autonomous Region.
In the run-up to the vote, Moldovan authorities uncovered and exposed a Russia-funded campaign of vote buying and manipulation.
“Russian methods for vote buying and manipulation have been on full display during these elections,” says Berit Lindeman, Secretary General of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. “Moldovan authorities dedicated significant resources to countering these attempts. Moldova has been on the frontlines of democracy—and came out victorious.”
Although the vote-buying campaign ultimately failed, Russia continues efforts to polarize and undermine democratic processes.
“Russia wants to see democracy fail. Any democratic success story in the former Soviet Union directly undermines Putin’s own model of government. Countries like Moldova and Georgia have come under unprecedented pressure. Established democracies should their experience,” Lindeman says.
The Norwegian Helsinki Committee congratulates the people of Moldova. We look forward to this new chapter in the country’s history.