In Moldova’s parliamentary elections, the party of the incumbent president Maia Sandu, Action andSolidarity, claimed victory. The political force secured more than 50% of the vote, which will allow it to gain a majority in parliament. In second place, with almost a quarter of the vote, was the opposition party Patriotic Electoral Bloc, led in part by former pro-Russian president Igor Dodon. Among the new members of parliament will also be representatives of the Alternative bloc, as well as Our Party and Democracy at Home, which cleared the electoral threshold.

The sensation of these parliamentaryelections was the party Democracy at Home, which advocates for Moldova’s unification with Romania. Just a year ago, it was little known and not among the frontrunners of the electoral race. However, the party focused its campaignon criticizing the authorities through social media. Its leader, Vasile Costiuc, has confirmed ties to Russia, takes a skeptical view of Moldova’s support for Ukraine, and defends traditional values.

These parliamentary elections have become the third defining vote for Moldova’s future — following Maia Sandu’sre-election as president and the 2024 referendum enshrining the course toward EU accession in the constitution. However, the current government still faces challenges such as ensuring domestic political stability and curbing Russia’sinfluence in the country.

Journalist Angelina Kariakina talk to Alina Radu, editor-in-chief of the investigative newspaper Ziarulde Gardă, about Russia’s attempts to influence the parliamentary elections and the shifts in narratives during the campaign in Moldova, the factors behindthe victory of the pro-government Action and Solidarity party, and the role of voters from Transnistria, Ukrainian refugees in Moldova, and what the future may hold for the country.

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