Today’s elections in Moldova will have wide-reaching effects on European and global politics. On Sunday 28 September, Moldovans choose a parliament that will decide whether the country continues towards the European Union or turns back towards Moscow. Polls suggest a tight race between the ruling pro-EU Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) and a newly formed Patriotic Bloc that unites pro-Russian forces. Accusations of foreign interference are widespread, suggesting cyber campaigns and even church networks are being used to influence the outcome of the election, such is the importance of the election beyond its own borders. Geographically speaking, Moldova sits between Ukraine and EU member Romania along the main fault line of the continent’s security, and economically speaking is one of the poorest countries in Europe.
Today’s vote doesn’t just decide who runs the country, but also indicates who has the momentum in the Europe-Russia jostle for power. Energy routes, sanctions policy, and the credibility of democratic resilience on Russia’s doorstep are all at stake.
What’s Happening Today?
Polling stations open across a country of 2.5 million voters, with final turnout likely to hinge on diaspora participation and rural Orthodox strongholds. Reports leading up to the election indicate that the ruling party may well lose its outright majority, pushing the country into coalition bargaining that will shape EU legislation and security coordination for years to come. Authorities in Chișinău say they are prepared with countermeasures against cyber attacks and disinformation assets that could disrupt the count or mislead the population. Expect rapid statements from Brussels, Kyiv and Moscow once exit tallies start to emerge.
Why It Matters for Europe, Russia and Beyond
Already aiming for EU membership in the coming years, a PAS majority will keep Moldova aligned with sanctions policy, accelerate reforms demanded by Brussels, and deepen cooperation with Ukraine on border and energy security. Pro-Russian parliament will complicate EU accession and reopen channels for Moscow to influence Chișinău through information operations and Transnistria, an unrecognised breakaway strip of land between Moldova and Ukraine. Today’s voting is a live test of how smaller frontline states navigate war-time economics, social strain, and greater regional power pressures.
Russia Accused of Interference
Reuters uncovered a structured effort by Moscow to use the Orthodox Church – Moldova’s most trusted institution – to steer public opinion. Reporters traced all-expenses-paid pilgrimages for hundreds of priests to Moscow, lectures that promoted anti-EU narratives, and prepaid cards issued by a Russian bank. The same network is said to have launched dozens of parish Telegram channels that amplified culture-war themes before the vote too. Church figures have denied political motives, and Moldovan officials call it weaponisation of faith.
Irina Vlah – Leader of the Heart of Moldova Republican Party and one of the leaders of the pro-Russian Patriotic Electoral Bloc – has received a five-year ban from Poland on accusations of aiding pro-Russia interference in Moldova’s elections, and is also banned from Lithuania and Canada. A statement released by Poland’s foreign ministry said:
“Irina Vlah, a Moldovan politician who is assisting the Russian Federation in interfering with preparations for the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova, will be banned from entering the territory of the Republic of Poland,”
“The Russian Federation is interfering in an unprecedented and illegal manner in political processes, including, in particular, preparations for the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova.”
Moscow denies accusations of interfering in the elections and says meddling in Moldova’s affairs and says Chişinău is using anti-Russian rhetoric for political gain.
The Pro-Europe Case
Supporters of the ruling program argue that EU alignment offers market access, investment, and a rule-of-law overhaul that can dent corruption. They say accession is Moldova’s best insurance policy against coercion and energy blackmail, and they frame this vote as a choice between prosperity with security and isolation with stagnation. Party leaders warn that stepping off the EU path would slow reforms and undercut support from European partners at a time when budgets and infrastructure are already stretched by war-time economics.
The Pro-Russia Case
Opposition leaders and allied voices say Moldova should avoid entanglement in what they call Western conflicts and should seek cheaper energy and open markets in the east. They argue that rapid EU integration has delivered higher prices and culture-war friction, and they promise stability through neutrality and better ties with Moscow. Their campaign stresses social assistance and scepticism toward reforms that they portray as imposed from abroad.
Polls and Predictions
Late polling cited by Reuters suggested the ruling party could finish first yet fall short of a majority in the 101-seat chamber. The Patriotic Bloc has momentum in Russian-speaking regions and in parts of the south, while smaller parties hover near the 5 to 7 percent thresholds for parties and blocs that determine who gets into parliament. The decisive variable could be diaspora turnout, which historically leans pro-EU.
Moldova & the Bigger Picture
Moldova’s ballot drops into a wider contest over norms and influence. Bloomberg and policy institutes describe a poverty-and-security election where Russia seeks to pull a small neighbour back into its sphere while Europe offers a long, technical path into its political and economic order. The result will echo far beyond Chișinău because it will signal whether the EU can keep building a zone of stability around Ukraine and whether the Kremlin can still bend information ecosystems in places where incomes are low and institutions are fragile.
Final Thought
This is a small country with a giant decision. A victory for the pro-EU camp would not solve Moldova’s problems, yet it would lock in a direction of travel and reassure partners who have invested political capital and cash. A strong showing for the Patriotic Bloc would complicate EU accession, reshape energy and media policy, and give Moscow new levers at a sensitive moment in Europe’s security timeline. Either way, the vote will show how much room a frontline democracy has to steer its own course while bigger powers push from both sides.
Join the Conversation
One of the poorest countries in the continent could have a massive effect on what’s happening in Russia, Ukraine and beyond. If you were voting in Moldova today, which way would you be voting? What do you think the outcome will be? Add your thoughts below.
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Categories: World News
Dacă aș vota azi în R. Moldova nu aș vota cu partidele pro UE pentru că în România se simt ,,binefacerile” acestei organizații care ne impune valorile lor cu educație de gen, cu parade curcubeu, cu distrugerea industriei și a agriculturii și transformarea într-un teritoriu de pe care se spoliază resurse și se consumă produsele din celelalte țări în locul celor proprii!
Există toate șansele ca și R Moldova să aibă aceeași soartă dacă votează pro UE!
Comentariul meu a fost viciat la postare!
Trying to have fair relations with both the EU and Russia would be the sensible way to operate for them.