Elections in Moldova: path towards EU confirmed
In the Republic of Moldova, President Maia Sandu's pro-European ruling party PAS won Sunday's parliamentary election with 50.2 percent of the vote. The pro-Russian Patriotic Electoral Bloc led by former president Igor Dodon was left trailing behind with 24.2 percent. Despite minor losses, PAS can now continue the country's path towards EU accession without a coalition partner. Europe's media take a closer look at the outcome.
Massive support from Brussels must follow
The Irish Times expects the outcome to give the EU enlargement process a boost:
“[Sandu's] party ... can now hope to speed up delivery of its programme with more EU aid for infrastructural development and market access. That EU support should be more readily forthcoming because of these results. They matter a lot as the EU decides how its own security needs must be developed to match Russia's more aggressive political and military postures in adjoining states. The symbolic importance of this result outweighs Moldova's size and will re-energise arguments for a more rapid enlargement of the EU.”
No blank cheque for Sandu
Many people voted for the ruling party out of fear, the Moldovan news outlet Agora suspects:
“The PAS would be mistaken to interpret this result as a blank cheque for its leadership. A considerable portion of the votes reflect less a clear endorsement of the party's agenda than a rejection of the compromised, corrupt or populist alternatives. Many voters chose the option they considered 'safest' out of fear, to maintain peace and the pro-European orientation put forward by Maia Sandu. This reality obliges the PAS to govern responsibly and pragmatically, with reforms and concrete results that must become visible very quickly. Otherwise the accumulated electoral capital threatens to erode.”
Do more to integrate Russian-speaking Moldovans
Tageblatt warns:
“With average pensions of just over 200 euros, many older Moldovans struggle to make ends meet - and remain susceptible to populist messages of salvation. Over a third of the electorat voted for overtly or covertly pro-Russian forces. Until the pro-European forces manage to reach and better integrate the Russian-speaking part of the population, which they often neglect or even treat with mistrust, the Kremlin's disinformation will continue to hit home.”
Moscow's image in decline
Political scientist Ekaterina Schulmann describes on Facebook how attitudes towards Russia are changing in countries such as Georgia and Moldova:
“Over the past three years, the Russian Federation has earned itself a reputation that makes it increasingly difficult for it to attract even well-disposed voters who used to associate friendship with the Russian Federation with cheap gas and high pensions. Perhaps the slogan 'Vote for the pro-Russian party and Russia won't invade us' still sounded convincing during the last elections in Georgia [in 2024]. But now it has become 'Vote for the pro-Russian party and Russia will invade us before we can prepare, and no one will protect you.'”
Share valuable political know-how
Journalist Carmen Dumitrescu says on republica.ro that Romania can learn how to oppose Russia's hybrid disinformation war from its neighbour:
“Romania could have its experts trained in the Republic of Moldova so that we too can learn how to fight an information war and, above all, how to win it. We have already forgotten the Russian methods because we have grown used to democracy and goodness. The Republic of Moldova wasn't allowed to forget all that, and as a result it knew how to mobilise. It fought heroically and managed to convince voters that the democratic and European path is the right one.”