Pro-Western female leader, with EU accession policy, re-elected

According to preliminary results of the second round of presidential elections announced by the Moldovan National Election Commission (NEC) on November 3, incumbent President Maia Sandu won with 54.35% support.

Incumbent President of Moldova Maia Sandu was re-elected for a second term. (Source: Tagesschau)

On November 3, according to Moldova's state news agency Moldpres , with 97.93% of the total votes counted (1,696,290 votes), incumbent President Maia Sandu won 54.35% of support.

Ms. Sandu's opponent - Moldova's Socialist Party candidate, former Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo - came in second with only 45.65% of the vote.

In her victory speech, Ms. Sandu called on all forces in Moldovan society to prepare the country for parliamentary elections next summer and to protect democracy in the Eastern European country.

The run-off election, held two weeks after a close result in a referendum on joining the European Union (EU), is seen as crucial to Chisinau's European future .

In the first round of the election, Ms. Sandu won 42.5% of the votes, while Mr. Stoianoglo held 26% of the support.

According to the CEC, the second round of polling stations closed at 9:00 p.m. on November 3 (2:00 a.m. on November 4, Hanoi time). This election had a relatively high voter turnout rate. As of 9:00 p.m., the voter turnout rate at a total of 2,219 polling stations was 54.27%.

Ms. Sandu is a supporter of joining the European Union (EU), and Moldova has applied to join the EU in 2022. EU accession negotiations began last June.

Moldovan voters are deeply polarized. Majorities in the capital Chisinau and several major cities support EU membership, while voters in rural areas and the Transnistria and Gagauzia regions are against it.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/election-of-the-president-of-moldova-as-a-leader-of-the-western-region-with-the-head-of-the-EU-entry-in-the-EU-292504.html