Moldova’s Pro-Western Governing Party Wins Elections, Overshadowed By Russian Interference Allegations

Key Facts

Published: September 29, 2025 • Location: Chisinau, Moldova • Source: Wire Services

• Moldova’s pro-Western Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) secured a majority in parliament, winning 55 of 101 seats.
• Authorities accused Russia of meddling in the vote through vote-buying, disinformation campaigns, and illicit financing schemes.
• President Maia Sandu vowed to accelerate EU integration and anti-corruption reforms despite challenges from pro-Russian regions.

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

CHISINAU, MOLDOVA (Worthy News) – Moldova’s pro-Western governing Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) has won crucial parliamentary elections overshadowed by concerns over alleged Russian interference, according to official results released Monday.

Squeezed between war-torn Ukraine and European Union (EU) member Romania, the government of the strategically located small nation of 2.5 million people has for years pursued a westward path toward EU membership.

Sunday’s vote for a new 101-seat parliament was seen as decisive for the country’s future direction: closer to Brussels or back into Moscow’s orbit.

PAS, closely aligned with President Maia Sandu, secured around 50 percent of the vote, giving it a majority with 55 seats. The outcome marks a major political victory for Sandu, who warned that Moldova’s sovereignty and democracy would be at risk if Russia tightened its grip on the former Soviet republic.

The pro-Russia Patriotic Electoral Bloc, led by former President Igor Dodon, came second with roughly 24 percent and 26 seats. Smaller groups also entered parliament, including the centrist “Alternative” bloc and the populist “Our Party.”

INTERFERENCE FEARS

The election was marred by warnings from Moldovan authorities and EU officials that Moscow tried to sway the outcome. They accused Russia of attempting to buy hundreds of thousands of votes, hiring Orthodox priests to mobilize voters for pro-Russian parties, and flooding the country with disinformation.

Police said they detained more than 70 people and carried out about 250 raids linked to an alleged Russian plot to incite unrest.

Cyberattacks and fake bomb threats in Belgium and other countries with large Moldovan communities further clouded the campaign.

Two pro-Russian groups, “Heart of Moldova” and “Moldova Mare,” were barred from participating after investigators uncovered alleged illicit financing and undeclared foreign funds.

Russia dismissed all accusations, instead blaming NATO and the EU for destabilizing Moldova.

WHAT’S NEXT

With PAS holding a majority, Sandu’s government is expected to accelerate anti-corruption reforms, push forward EU integration, and stabilize the economy in Europe’s poorest nation.

However, significant hurdles remain: Moldova faces persistent energy vulnerabilities, high inflation, and simmering pro-Russian sentiment in the breakaway Transnistria region and Gagauzia.

Both Transnistria — a self-declared separatist territory where about 1,500 Russian troops are still stationed — and the autonomous Gagauzia region maintain strong pro-Moscow leanings, more than three decades after Moldova declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

President Maia Sandu welcomed the result as a “clear choice by Moldovans for a European future,” saying it proves “our people want a strong, democratic state that belongs in the European Union.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Moldovans, stressing that the EU “stands firmly with Moldova on its path of reforms and integration.” Romanian President Klaus Iohannis also hailed the outcome as “a victory for democracy and stability in our region.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called PAS’s victory “a sign that Moldova, like Ukraine, will not be intimidated by Russia and chooses freedom.”

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