Moldova’s referendum on joining the European Union was closely contested after preliminary results showed a narrow majority of 50.17% of voters supporting EU membership, with fewer than 1.5% of ballots left to count, Reuters reports.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who has pursued EU integration during her four-year term, expressed concerns about “unprecedented” outside interference in the vote. Sandu accused criminal groups and foreign forces, particularly fugitive tycoon Ilan Shor, of attempting to manipulate the vote and alleged that around 300,000 votes were bought. Shor, who is based in Russia, denied wrongdoing and claimed Moldovans voted against the referendum.
The referendum coincided with a presidential election in which Sandu received 42% of the votes, while her main opponent, former prosecutor-general Alexandr Stoianoglo, garnered 26%, setting up a run-off on November 3. Stoianoglo, who boycotted the referendum, advocates a balanced foreign policy involving ties with the EU, Russia, the US, and China.
Despite the initial counts showing a majority against the EU referendum, with 57% voting “no,” the “yes” votes increased as more ballots were counted, largely attributed to high turnout among Moldovan expatriates who favor EU integration.
