Russian ‘interference’ suspected in Moldova EU referendum

A referendum on EU membership has produced a surprising result, this time in Moldova. Moldovans had been expected to clearly back the government’s plan to enshrine the country’s ‘European path’ into their constitution. Instead, in a hollow victory, the ‘yes’ camp won by only a fraction of a percentage point.

As of late Monday morning, 99.2 percent of votes had been counted, with 50.3 percent of electors opting for EU membership.

Meanwhile, although pro-EU incumbent, Maia Sandu came first in the presidential election, she failed to win enough votes in the first round to be confirmed in the job and will now face her pro-Russian rival, Alexandr Stoianoglo, in a tough second round.

“Criminal groups, working together with foreign forces hostile to our national interests, have attacked our country with tens of millions of euros, lies and propaganda,” said President Sandu.

“We have clear evidence that these criminal groups aimed to buy 300,000 votes – a fraud of unprecedented scale. Their objective was to undermine a democratic process.”

In the run-up to the referendum, the European Commission warned that Russia was increasing “attempts to undermine Moldova’s democracy” and its “European future” through “foreign interference, through information manipulation and other illicit actions including illegal schemes of vote buying”.

A Moldovan government official told the news agency Reuters that Russia was suspected of spending €100 million trying to manipulate the election.

Earlier this month, Moldova’s police chief said more than 130,000 Moldovans had been bribed by a Russia-backed network to vote ‘no’ in the referendum.

Russia also criticised the vote, saying the election was “not free”.

The Moldovan government didn’t need to hold the referendum in the first place. Accession negotiations with the EU are already underway. But the government decided if its ‘European path’ was anchored in the constitution, it would strengthen its hand. Instead Moldova now looks weak and vulnerable.

Incumbent President Sandu claimed Moldova has suffered an “unprecedented” assault, squarely blaming Russia for the ambiguous election results.

EU leaders have been making a steady flow of visits to Moldova’s capital, Chişinău, to show their support for the country’s European aspirations.

On a visit to the city just two weeks ago, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, praised Moldova’s “remarkable” progress towards joining the EU.

In a matter of months, von der Leyen said, the government had initiated important justice reforms, intensified the fight against corruption and was trying to loosen the grip of the oligarchs on Moldova’s economy.

Inevitably President Sandu has plenty of enemies as well as proponents. She has been betting on the golden egg of European Union membership.

In return, von der Leyen has waved a carrot, offering to invest €1.8 billion in Moldova over the next three years including building new schools, hospitals and transport links.

Russia is trying to “undermine Moldova in order to subjugate this country into its neo-imperialistic sphere of influence”, said the EU’s foreign affairs spokesman ahead of the vote.

The EU insisted that it would continue “a very strong and close partnership” with Moldova regardless of the referendum result.

Moldova will go back to the polls next month for the second round of the presidential elections. If Sandu’s rivals now gravitate around the pro-Russian candidate, Alexandr Stoianoglo, she could be in serious trouble.

That means that, despite the referendum win, Moldova could yet turn its back on the European Union.