On September 28, 2025, Moldovans headed to the polls in what many observers described as the most consequential parliamentary elections in the country’s post-Soviet history. The vote, marked by deep regional divides and the shadow of external interference, ultimately delivered a resounding, if hard-won, victory for the pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) led by President Maia Sandu. Yet, as the dust settles, questions linger over the nation’s future direction, the resilience of its democracy, and the implications for the broader region.
In the days leading up to the election, the mood in Moldova was tense and uncertain. According to Newsmaker and AP, the main intrigue centered on whether PAS could hold onto power or whether the opposition Patriotic Bloc, a coalition of pro-Russian parties headed by former President Igor Dodon, would wrest control. Polls showed PAS with a slim lead, but with nearly a third of voters undecided, the outcome was far from guaranteed.
Regional dynamics played a pivotal role in shaping the campaign. In the southern region of Gagauzia, the city of Comrat stood as a bastion of pro-Russian sentiment. Streets named after Lenin and Soviet-era monuments attested to enduring ties with Moscow. “I don’t care – Russia or the West, they all have their own interests. I believe that decisions for Moldova are made not in Moldova – but in Brussels, in the USA,” said Yuriy, a Comrat resident, reflecting a pervasive skepticism of both East and West. Many in the region emphasized the need for stability and economic development, but also voiced nostalgia for the Soviet era’s perceived social guarantees. “Russia is closer to us, to my generation. We have seen free education, free jobs, there was no freeloading,” another resident explained.
In Moldova’s north, the town of Edineț offered a strikingly different picture. Here, a large Ukrainian community has preserved its language and culture, with Ukrainian street names and school curricula. “I vote for those who want our country to live well. We are with everyone. There is no need to align with Russia or the EU – all! In Moldova there are Moldovans, Ukrainians, Bulgarians, and Gagauzians. We are many and very different. Therefore we must live in peace. And peace is the most important,” a local resident told Newsmaker. At the Vasyl Sukhomlynskyi Lyceum, Ukrainian language and literature are taught alongside Moldovan subjects, underscoring the region’s multicultural fabric.
Meanwhile, in the capital Chișinău, coalition possibilities were the talk of the town. Neither PAS nor the Patriotic Bloc appeared poised to secure a clear majority, making a coalition government all but inevitable. Oazu Nantoi, a PAS representative, summed up the party’s stance: “They understand that the European perspective for Moldova is not a whim but a question of ‘to be or not to be’. If the EU tries to forbid interaction with Russia or energy resources – we will simply ask: why is the European Union doing this?” Nantoi emphasized that cooperation with Ukraine, Romania, and the EU would remain priorities, but dialogue with Russia would continue if it served Moldova’s national interests.
The campaign itself was anything but ordinary. President Maia Sandu sounded the alarm over what she called “unprecedented Russian interference,” including allegations of corruption, illegal funding, cyberattacks, and manipulation designed to undermine Moldova’s democracy and sovereignty. According to BBC and AP, Moldovan authorities conducted police raids targeting what they described as preparations for mass riots and destabilization, orchestrated from Russia through criminal networks.
The Kremlin, for its part, was not shy about its own preferences. Russian officials accused the Moldovan government of "anti-Russian hysteria" and claimed, without evidence, that NATO was preparing to "occupy" Moldova. Meanwhile, the Moldovan government and Western allies accused Moscow of pouring hundreds of millions of euros into the country to spread disinformation and sway the vote. Two pro-Russian parties—Heart of Moldova and Moldova Mare—were barred from participating in the election due to allegations of voter bribery, illegal financing, and money laundering. The ban on Moldova Mare was finalized on September 28, just hours after voting began.
The European Union, normally reserved in its approach to elections in candidate countries, made little effort to conceal its support for PAS. European leaders visited Chișinău, and the European Commission announced a 1.9 billion euro ($2.23 billion) growth plan for Moldova in early 2025, earmarked for infrastructure and energy projects. Siegfried Muresan, a European Parliament vice president, declared, “Moldova’s pro-European victory is a lesson for all Europe on how to defend against Russian interference. Moldova remains firmly anchored on the pro-European path. Good news for the people of Moldova! Good news for Europe!”
Perhaps the most dramatic moment came just three days before the vote, when Greece extradited oligarch Vlad Plahotniuc to Moldova—an event that gave a boost to Sandu’s anti-corruption credentials. Plahotniuc, a central figure in a long-running investigation into the disappearance of $1 billion from Moldovan banks in 2014, arrived in handcuffs, a symbolic victory for Sandu’s campaign against graft.
The stakes of the election extended well beyond Moldova’s borders. With the country sandwiched between Ukraine and EU member Romania, a pro-Russian win would have presented a strategic setback for Brussels and a potential boon for Moscow at a time when Russia is seeking to test Western resolve amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. As BBC noted, the result was seen as a “political hattrick” for Sandu, coming less than a year after her re-election as president and a narrow victory in a referendum on EU membership.
When the final votes were tallied, PAS was predicted to have secured at least 54 of the 101 seats in parliament—a clear, if not overwhelming, majority. The outcome was widely interpreted as a setback for the Kremlin and a validation of Moldova’s pro-European trajectory. The EU, eager to expand its influence in Eastern Europe, is now preparing to open negotiations on all 33 enlargement chapters with Moldova, potentially advancing its membership bid ahead of Ukraine, whose path is currently blocked by Hungary over minority rights issues.
For Ukraine, the PAS victory is also seen as a positive development. Moldova remains an important hub for Kyiv, and the prospect of a hostile neighbor to the west would have complicated its already precarious security situation. As EU officials have suggested, Moldova could become the “locomotive” that pulls Ukraine along the path toward EU membership—a possibility that remains real in the wake of this election.
Ultimately, the 2025 Moldovan parliamentary elections underscored the country’s enduring divisions, the influence of powerful external actors, and the high stakes involved in its choice between East and West. Yet, as the ballots are counted and coalition talks begin, one thing is clear: Moldova’s future remains firmly in the hands of its people, who—despite all pressures—have chosen the path of European integration, at least for now.
