ISTANBUL

Voting in Moldova ended on Sunday in a "consequential" parliamentary election that is expected to shape Chisinau's bid for EU membership as well as the balance of power in parliament.

Voting began at 2,274 polling stations, of which 1,973 are in Moldova itself, at 7 am local time (0400GMT) and officially ended at 9 pm local time (1800GMT).

According to Moldova’s Central Election Commission (CEC), over 3,400 observers were registered to monitor the election, including 912 international observers.

Following the end of voting, the CEC reported that nearly 1.6 million Moldovans voted, representing a turnout of more than 52%.

"At 9 pm, the polling stations in the country ended their activity, without any interruptions in the voting flow or other inconveniences related to the electoral process," the CEC said in a following statement, noting that some polling stations abroad remain open.

It added that the CEC will hold a briefing on Monday at 10 am to present the preliminary election results.

During the voting, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry said it received reports of bomb threats at several polling stations abroad, claiming that they were part of Russia's "assault on the electoral process" in the country.

Separately, Moldova's Information Technology & Cyber ​​Security Service (STISC) reported multiple cyberattacks on the country's electoral infrastructure, including the CEC website, since Saturday.

President Maia Sandu's ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), which has held a parliamentary majority since 2021, is up against multiple political alliances made up of mostly pro-Russian opposition parties that have attempted to position themselves as viable alternatives to PAS.

Among the ruling party's competitors is the Patriotic Bloc, led by former President Igor Dodon, who called on the opposition to rally in front of parliament on Monday and claimed Sandu was planning to annul the vote without providing any evidence.

The Alternative bloc, led by Chisinau Mayor Ion Ceban and former presidential candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo, is another challenger to PAS in the election.

In an address to the European Parliament earlier this month, Sandu defined the election as the “most consequential” since the country’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The vote is expected to determine the fate of Moldova’s geopolitical path.

Sandu and the PAS have led Moldova closer to Brussels, securing EU candidate status, alongside Ukraine, in 2022, and opening accession talks in June 2024. A referendum held in October that same year narrowly enshrined EU membership in the country’s constitution.

The period leading up to today's vote has been marked by allegations of Russian interference, particularly by Sandu, who claimed in July that Russia is “investing in multiple political vehicles” to gain influence in parliament.

Russia has denied allegations and accused Moldovan authorities of “dividing citizens” by limiting polling stations in Russia while expanding them across Europe.

Russia has also accused the EU and NATO of plotting to “occupy Moldova” and intimidate Transnistria, a breakaway region of Moldova controlled by pro-Russian separatists since the early 1990s​​​​​.