RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

Moldova stays on path to Europe

Maia Sandu wins a second term in office as president of the ex-Soviet, majority Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova.

Maia Sandu (Photo: presedinte.md)
Maia Sandu (Photo: presedinte.md)

, 04.11.2024, 14:00

Moldova’s pro-European president Maia Sandu won a new  4-year term in Sunday’s second round run-off, with over 55% of the votes cast in the presidential elections. Her rival, the former prosecutor general, Gagauzian ethnic Alexandr Stoianoglo, who was backed by the pro-Russian Socialists, won under 45%, the Central Electoral Commission in Chișinău announced. Both candidates also hold Romanian passports.

After casting her ballot, Maia Sandu said she was hoping voter turnout would be high so as to thwart the plans of “the thieves”, as she put it, “who want to steal the republic”. Prime minister Dorin Recean, whose government is formed by the presidential Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), said the interior ministry and other public institutions are working to prevent an attack on democracy in Moldova. He denounced the attacks of election fraud orchestrated by Russia and said “we are under attack from criminal groups who bought a large amount of votes and that’s why it is important to mobilise ourselves, to go out and vote, because our vote can defeat fraud”. Recean also said people must elect a leader “who will lead us to prosperity, to the European Union”.

Also on Sunday, Stoianoglo, responding to criticism that he is expressing himself with difficulty in Romanian, said mastering the Romanian language is not an obligatory condition for a presidential candidate. Some commentators say this statement, which is offensive for the Romanian-speaking majority in Moldova, further damaged his image. The ethnic Gagauzian population is a Turkic ethnic group of Christian Orthodox faith. They were settled in the south of today’s Moldova by the Tsarist regime, who displaced them from eastern Bulgaria two centuries ago. Linguists say that after WWII, the Gagauzian population was subjected to forced Russification by the Russian occupiers, on top of their isolation from the Romanian ethnic group, so today, they speak neither Romanian, nor their own Turkic language.

Europe has hailed Maia Sandu’s victory, including the head of the European Commission, Germany’s chancellor and the presidents of France, Ukraine and Romania. The president elect has promised to improve government in her second term, as she is aware that some people are dissatisfied with the situation in their country.

The Romanian analyst Armand Goșu, who is specialised in the ex-Soviet world, recalls that Moldova will host parliamentary elections in a few months’ time, which are equally important as the presidential elections, as Moldova is a semi-presidential republic in which the president has limited powers.

Tags:
European Commission (photo: © European Union - Source: EC - Audiovisual Service / Photographer: Christophe Licoppe)
Today in the News Thursday, 21 November 2024

Political agreement on the new European Commission

    The leaders of the three major political groups in the European Parliament have given the green light to the members of the next...

Political agreement on the new European Commission
Photo: aep.ro
Today in the News Thursday, 21 November 2024

13 for Romania

    In Romania, presidential elections usually spark the greatest interest and emotions. Even more so this year, when the two rounds of the...

13 for Romania
Gas consumption in the EU (Credits: magnascan-pixabay-com)
Today in the News Wednesday, 20 November 2024

Romania’s natural gas, available for trading

On Tuesday, the Romanian company Romgaz launched its first issue of bonds on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, worth 500 million EUR. Romgaz is the...

Romania’s natural gas, available for trading
Photo: roaep.ro
Today in the News Tuesday, 19 November 2024

Romania ahead of the presidential election

Next month, President Klaus Iohannis will end his second and last five-year term in office according to the Romanian Constitution. The so-called...

Romania ahead of the presidential election
Today in the News Tuesday, 19 November 2024

Romania’s Prime Minister on a visit to Brussels

NATO welcomes Romania’s continuous efforts and its significant contribution to strengthening the Alliance and Euro-Atlantic security, NATO...

Romania’s Prime Minister on a visit to Brussels
Today in the News Monday, 18 November 2024

Downward forecast from the European Commission

Romania’s economic growth estimate has been recalculated by the European Commission (EC), at a value well below the initially established...

Downward forecast from the European Commission
Today in the News Monday, 18 November 2024

35 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall

The fall of the Berlin Wall, 35 years ago, represented for Romanians an encouragement in their fight for freedom, and the removal of the Iron Curtain...

35 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall
Today in the News Friday, 15 November 2024

European minimum wage in Romania

The law on the introduction of the European minimum wage in Romania was promulgated by President Klaus Iohannis. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has...

European minimum wage in Romania

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company