Pro-West Leader Wins High-Stakes Vote in Former Soviet Republic

Moldovans living abroad voted in record numbers in a presidential runoff that secured victory for pro-Western President Maia Sandu, in a pivotal race that pitted her against a Russia-friendly opponent amid ongoing claims of Russian interference, voter fraud, and intimidation

The election in the small ex-Soviet republic, which lies sandwiched between war-torn Ukraine and the European Union, was overshadowed by allegations of meddling by Moscow.

Coming as it did a mere two weeks after a tense referendum on the country’s EU membership, in which the “Yes” camp beat “No” by 10,000 votes, or seven-tenths of a percent, Sandu’s triumph prompted an outpouring of relief from EU capitals.

She had comfortably won the first round on October 20th with 42% of the vote against ten other candidates, but most of the also-rans were pro-Russian.