Moldovan President Maia Sandu speaks after her victory in the presidential elections, on November 4, 2024 in Chisinau
Daniel Mihailescu
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Russia accused Western powers on Monday of “interference” in the weekend presidential elections in Moldova where the outgoing president, Maia Sandu, a supporter of rapprochement with the EU, was elected.
The Russian Foreign Ministry indicated that the elections revealed “obvious interference by Western countries” and accused the Moldovan authorities of launching an “unprecedented repression” against the opposition, close to Moscow.
“It was the least democratic election campaign since Moldova’s independence in 1991,” said ministry spokesperson Maria Zajárova in a post on Telegram.
The victory of Sandu, a defender of rapprochement with the West, came two weeks after the narrow victory of the “yes” in the referendum on accession to the EU.
The elections in this former Soviet republic took place in a climate of fear of interference from Russia, which denied these accusations.
The 52-year-old outgoing president obtained 55.33% of the votes, compared to 44.67% for her rival, Alexandr Stoianoglo, a 57-year-old former prosecutor backed by the pro-Russian socialists.
