“Portugal stands and will continue to stand by Moldova,” affirmed the Portuguese Prime Minister in a message shared on the social network X.
Luís Montenegro highlighted that Moldovan voters spoke clearly and that “the free will of the people in choosing the European path overcame pressures and attempts at interference.”
The pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) won with over 50% of the votes, maintaining an absolute majority in parliament, ahead of the pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc, which garnered less than 25% of the votes.
Os eleitores da Moldova pronunciaram-se de forma clara. A vontade livre do povo em escolher o caminho europeu venceu as pressões e tentativas de ingerência. Portugal está e continuará a estar ao lado da Moldova.
— Luís Montenegro (@LMontenegro_PT) September 29, 2025
Nevertheless, the leader of the Patriotic Bloc, former President Igor Dodon (2016-2020), claimed victory and called for a protest today in the capital, Chisinau.
With the vote count completed, the President of Moldova will now appoint a Prime Minister from PAS, allowing the formation of a government without the need for coalitions.
The head of the observer mission from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Paula Cardoso, stated today that Moldova’s legislative elections were marked by severe Russian interference, including illicit financing, cyberattacks, and widespread misinformation.
“Everything came from Russia, from illicit funds channeled through front networks to relentless disinformation campaigns, which undermined public trust and caused cybersecurity incidents designed to sow chaos,” she said at a press conference presenting the mission’s conclusions.
The Russian presidency (Kremlin) accused Moldova today of preventing “hundreds of thousands” of Moldovans living in Russia from voting in the elections, where the pro-European PAS emerged victorious.
For Moldova’s President, Maia Sandu, Sunday’s victory for the pro-European party in the legislative elections constitutes “a strong mandate for the country’s EU membership process.”
“We showed the whole world that we are brave and dignified, that we were not intimidated,” she declared at a press conference, referring to the accusations of Russian interference in the election.
With 2.4 million inhabitants, Moldova has faced various crises since the Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine in 2022, threatening the pro-European government in Chisinau, which sees adherence to the European bloc as crucial to breaking free from Moscow’s influence.
About twenty parties and independent candidates competed in the elections, which must fill 101 seats.
In 2021, PAS won with 52.8% of the votes against 27.2% from the Bloc of Socialists and Communists.
DMC (JH/MBA/PMC) // RBF
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