Moldovans will decide between supporting European integration with Sandu at the helm or turning the country’s foreign policy around
Nov. 2 () –
The president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, seeks to achieve re-election in office in the second round of the presidential elections to be held this Sunday and in which she faces the candidate of the Party of Socialists (PSRM), Alexandr Stoianoglo, whom certain sectors reproach his closeness to the Kremlin’s positions.
Sandu, candidate of the liberal Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), was the candidate with the most votes in the first round with almost 42.5 percent of the votes; while Stoianoglo managed to convince about 30 percent of the electorate, and now aims to convince the rest of the voters to unseat the current Moldovan president.
The few polls that have been carried out in the two weeks that have elapsed since the first round of the presidential elections were held show that Sandu would win more than half of the votes, which would guarantee another four years to move forward. with its policies, focused on European integration.
Some scenarios show that Stoianoglo would emerge victorious among voters residing in Moldova, especially among residents on the eastern bank of the Dniester River, where the breakaway region of Transnistria is located. However, the thousands of Moldovans abroad would tip the balance in favor of Sandu.
According to iData polls collected by the news portal Newsmaker, Sandu’s victory could range between 55 and 51 percent. For its part, the most favorable scenario for Stoianoglo gives it almost 49 percent of the votes, as long as it convinces half of the Moldovans abroad.
EUROPEAN INTEGRATION OR CHANGE OF COURSE
President Sandu has experienced a mandate with ups and downs since she took office in December 2020. Her former prime minister, Natalia Gavrilita, resigned in February 2023 due to the energy crisis due to the war in Ukraine, which triggered inflation and The institutions collapsed due to the arrival of thousands of refugees.
Stoianoglo, for his part, presents himself with the baggage obtained during his time as Attorney General of Moldova, although his figure has been burdened by a case of corruption, illicit enrichment and abuse of power, at the same time as some more critical sectors. They reproach his sympathy with pro-Russian positions.
In fact, Sandu has been able to take advantage of this and has focused part of his campaign on criticizing his rival as the Kremlin’s candidate. Stoianoglo, for his part, has denounced a political hunt against him and, although he has recognized the president’s good intentions, he has asserted that “she has failed” in these four years.
During the voting in the first round of the presidential elections, the Moldovan population also approved – although by a narrow margin of votes – a referendum on integration into the European Union. While the ruling party, in favor of the ‘yes’ vote, denounced Russian interference, the opposition has assured that it does not recognize the results.
In this second round, the Moldovans will have to choose whether to support Sandu’s pro-European course over recent years, or if, on the contrary, they decide to take a turn in foreign policy and begin a path towards a more neutral position at a time when that Europe warns of the Russian threat.
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