Moldova’s parliamentary elections delivered a decisive win for President Maia Sandu’s pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), but questions remain about its ability to govern alone. With over 95 percent of ballots counted, PAS secured close to half of the vote - around 49 percent - placing it well ahead of its main rival, the pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc, which finished with just under 25 percent. The center-left Alternative took around 8 percent, while two smaller groups, Our Party and Democracy at Home, also managed to pass the 5 percent threshold required to enter parliament.

Voter turnout stood at approximately 52 percent, representing over 1.6 million Moldovans, including more than 243,000 ballots cast from abroad. The diaspora vote, still being finalized, played a significant role in boosting PAS’s results. President Sandu thanked citizens at home and overseas, calling the high turnout evidence of strong public commitment to democracy.

Despite its strong lead, PAS may face difficulties in securing a stable majority in the 101-seat legislature. The party currently risks falling short of the outright control it enjoyed after the 2021 elections. This raises the prospect of coalition talks, potentially involving the Alternative or even the populist Our Party - alliances that analysts warn could be fragile and politically awkward.

The election unfolded against the backdrop of heightened Russian pressure and persistent allegations of outside interference. Moldovan authorities accused the Kremlin of pouring vast sums into disinformation campaigns and attempts to destabilize the vote. Cybersecurity services reported attempted cyberattacks on electoral infrastructure, which they said were neutralized in real time without affecting the vote’s integrity. Prosecutors also carried out hundreds of searches linked to alleged electoral corruption, with dozens of arrests.

Election day itself was marked by bomb threats at polling stations abroad, reports of illegal voter transportation, and incidents of ballot photography. In Transnistria, the pro-Russian breakaway region, local authorities accused Chisinau of restricting access to polling stations, while Moldovan officials accused Moscow of orchestrating chaos through covert financing and disinformation.

Pro-Russian leaders quickly moved to challenge the outcome. Igor Dodon, former president and figurehead of the Patriotic Bloc, accused PAS of electoral fraud and called for mass protests. Late on election night, opposition supporters gathered outside the Central Election Commission building in Chisinau. Dodon insisted that if “falsifications” were confirmed, the opposition would demand new elections.

International observers and analysts emphasized both the significance and fragility of PAS’s victory. The EU highlighted concerns over disinformation and vote buying, while local experts warned that Russia would not easily relinquish influence and could continue efforts to undermine a stable pro-European government.

For many Moldovans, the election was seen as a defining moment in choosing between closer integration with the European Union or a return to Moscow’s orbit. Supporters of PAS stressed that the country must stay on its European course, with hopes of joining the EU by 2030. Yet widespread economic hardship, low wages, and social dissatisfaction continue to fuel skepticism, leaving the political landscape highly volatile.

Moldova, a country of 2.4 million people and one of Europe’s poorest, thus emerges from the elections with a clear pro-EU mandate, but also facing renewed political uncertainty - balancing the ambitions of European integration with the persistent shadow of Russian interference.