Zelensky congratulates Sandu on election win
Photo: AP
Maia Sandu, Moldova's current pro-European leader, has emerged as the winner in the presidential elections. She defeated her opponent, Alexandr Stoianoglo, who has been labeled a supporter of Russia. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated her on her victory.
Zelensky wrote this on X.
According to reports, Sandu emerged as the winner in the second round of Moldova's presidential elections. With nearly all ballots counted, she secured 55.41% of the votes. At the same time, her opponent, former Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo, who was backed by the pro-Russian "Party of Socialists" opposition party, received 44.59% of the votes.
Therefore, the advantage of Sandu over Stoianoglo amounted to more than 181,730 votes.
It is worth mentioning that the initial round of elections in Moldova took place on October 20. During this election, the current president was re-elected with 42.49% of the vote, while Stoianoglo earned the backing of 25.9% of voters.
Simultaneously, a referendum was conducted to determine whether or not Moldova should further integrate with the European Union. It was not until the votes from the diaspora, cast at overseas polling stations, were tallied that the balance shifted to 50.38% in favor of joining the EU.
The Moldovan president herself has already declared her victory in the elections, spoken to her fellow citizens following her win, and expressed her desire to be president for all—even those who did not vote for her.
She noted that "Moldova won" and the country's citizens "taught a lesson in democracy worthy of being written down in history books."
"Moldova suffered an unprecedented attack in the history of the whole of Europe: dirty money, illegal bribery of votes, interference in election processes by criminal groups, the spread of hatred and fear in our society. But our people united, and the citizens won," she said.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Maia Sandu on the presidential elections in Moldova.
He emphasized that "Ukraine supports the European choice of the Moldovan people and stands ready to work together to strengthen our partnership."
"Moldovans have made a clear choice—they chose a path toward economic growth and social stability. Only true security and a peaceful, united Europe can guarantee each person and every family the confidence to face tomorrow with hope and certainty," Zelensky added.
Вітаю Маю Санду з перемогою на президентських виборах у Молдові. Україна підтримує європейський вибір народу Молдови й готова працювати разом задля зміцнення нашого партнерства.
Громадяни Молдови чітко визначилися – обрали шлях до економічного зростання та соціальної…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 4, 2024
European leaders, including the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, are also already congratulating Sandu on her victory in the second round.
"It takes rare strength to overcome the difficulties you faced in these elections. I look forward to continuing to work with you in the name of a European future for Moldova and its people," von der Leyen added.
At her turn, Roberta Metsola, the head of the European Parliament, emphasized that Sandu "led the democracy movement, the rule of law, and the European future."
"She demonstrated extraordinary courage and leadership qualities, defending the interests of her people. Europe will continue to support Moldova on this path," Metsola said.
French President Emmanuel Macron also congratulated Sandu on her victory. According to him, "Democracy prevailed over all interventions and maneuvers."
Congratulating the President of Moldova on her re-election, the Prime Minister of Poland emphasized that she was able to win against Moscow's " favorite" despite "aggressive and large-scale Russian interference in the presidential elections."
As the head of the government of Romania, Marcel Čolaku, noted, the victory of the pro-European president is "a clear proof of the will of the people of Moldova to protect democracy and secure their way to joining the EU."
For reference:
The first round of presidential elections took place in Moldova on October 20. As reported, the leading contenders for the post of head of state are incumbent President Maia Sandu and former Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo, who is considered pro-Russian.
In the initial round, Sandu received 42.49% of the votes, while Stoianoglo only garnered 25.95%. As the incumbent president failed to surpass the 50% threshold, a second round of presidential elections was announced in the country.
Sandu said authorities had evidence of vote-buying, calling it "fraud on an unprecedented scale." Law enforcement officers have documented more than 520 people who may be involved in bribing voters.
At the same time as the initial round, Moldova held a referendum on whether to join the European Union. It is important to note that, upon tallying all the votes, it was revealed that 50.46% of the voting citizens supported joining the EU. In June, Moldova started lengthy official negotiations for membership, and Sandu has prioritized achieving membership by 2030.
On Sunday, November 3, the second round of presidential elections took place in Moldova.
Before the November 3 election run-off, there was a nationwide surge of menacing phone calls. Officials cautioned that Russia may attempt to interfere with the voting process. Currently, the country is investigating organized efforts to transport citizens to polling stations outside of their home country.
On election day, there were also reports of the mining of foreign polling stations and a bridge that could potentially be used to access the polls from the unrecognized region of "Transnistria."
