Moldova sees Russian meddling behind pro-EU camp’s struggles at ballot box

Moldova accused “criminal groups” linked to Russia of launching an “unprecedented assault” on its democracy after surprisingly narrow victories for the country’s pro-EU camp in a referendum on membership and a presidential election.
With more than 99 per cent of votes counted 50.46 per cent voted “yes” to enshrine Moldova’s EU membership ambition in its constitution. In a presidential election that was held in parallel on Sunday, pro-western incumbent Maia Sandu took 42 per cent but will face a run-off next month against former prosecutor general Alexandr Stoianoglo, who won 26 per cent.
Both ballots were much closer than polls predicted following a campaign in which the Moldovan security services accused Moscow and pro-Kremlin Moldovan businessmen in Russia of trying to bribe voters.
“Moldova has faced an unprecedented assault on our country’s freedom and democracy, both today and in recent months,” said Ms Sandu, a Harvard-educated economist who for years has fought with pro-Russian opponents and Moldovan “oligarchs” to keep her country of 2.5 million on the long road towards EU accession.
“Criminal groups, working with foreign forces hostile to our national interests, have attacked our country with tens of millions of euro, lies and propaganda, using the most disgraceful means to keep our nation trapped in uncertainty and instability,” she added. “We have clear evidence that these criminal groups aimed to buy 300,000 votes – a fraud of unprecedented scale. Their objective was to undermine a democratic process. Their intention is to spread fear and panic in the society.”
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Russian-backed figures allegedly sent money to the bank accounts of people living in one of Europe’s poorest countries, and arranged for middlemen to give cash to people for voting against Ms Sandu and EU accession.
“If she says that she is short of votes because of some ‘criminal groups’ then she should present evidence,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who has denied that Russia tried to sway the votes in Moldova. “It also wouldn’t be a bad idea for her to explain why so many people voted against her position. Are they criminal groups too? Or does she mean that Moldovan citizens who don’t support her are associated with criminal groups?”
Michael Gahler, the head of the election monitoring delegation from the European Parliament, said that “despite the unprecedented massive, malign and illicit Russian interference, especially through vote-buying, hybrid attacks and disinformation, the people of the Republic of Moldova chose a future in the EU.”
Analysts said most opposition candidates in the presidential election would probably urge their voters to back Mr Stoianoglo in the November 3rd run-off. “We fought fairly and triumphed in an unfair fight,” Ms Sandu said. “There is one more battle ahead of us.”