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Reuters
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
President says Moldovans hold EU future in their hands ahead of key election
CHISINAU, July 4 (Reuters) - President Maia Sandu said on Friday that Moldovans hold in their own hands the fate of the country's bid to join the European Union ahead of a September election in which she hopes her pro-European party will maintain its control over parliament. Sandu, who wants her country, one of the poorest in Europe, to join the EU by 2030, was speaking at the end of the 27-nation bloc's first summit with Moldova. Her Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) is fighting to retain its parliamentary majority in the election against a challenge from the pro-Russian Socialist Party and its allies. Sandu won re-election last year by a razor-thin margin over a Socialist challenger in the ex-Soviet state lying between Ukraine and Romania. And a referendum asking voters to back the drive for EU membership only just cleared a 50% majority. "Prosperity and peace do not occur for nothing, you have to build them. With collective effort and unity. When citizens are united and choose the correct path and proceed along it," Sandu told a news conference at the end of the meeting. "The European Union is already happening here. The only risk is if we stop. If we decide this autumn that nothing will stop us, then everything is possible." Sandu and her party have denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine and accuse Moscow of destabilising their country. Russia says many Moldovans want to retain links with Moscow and accuse her of fomenting Russophobia. Opinion polls show that it will be difficult for any one party to secure a majority in the assembly. Should no majority emerge, talks would have to follow talks with other pro-European parties. At the summit, attended by the head of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and Antonio Costa, head of the European Council, the EU announced the disbursement of the first 270 million euro ($318 million) tranche of an Economic Growth Plan. Also announced was an accord to enable Moldovans to communicate by telephone in EU countries without roaming charges, a measure meant to stimulate business contacts.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Moldova's fall parliamentary elections could threaten pro-EU majority
Moldova's parliament voted on April 17 to hold elections on Sept. 28 – a vote that could potentially threaten the majority currently held by pro-Western President Maia Sandu's party. The motion to hold elections in September was approved by 57 lawmakers, with 32 abstaining. The elections are expected to be highly competitive, as Sandu's pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) faces a growing challenge from the pro-Russian opposition. Last year, Russia spent nearly 200 million euros ($220 million) to buy votes in the Moldovan presidential race and the EU referendum, hoping to oust Sandu from office and end the country's EU aspirations. While Sandu scraped by with a narrow victory, her opponent — former Prosecutor General Alexandr Stoianoglo — is now leading a coalition of three parties to contest PAS's majority in parliament. According to parliament Speaker Igor Grosu, the September elections will be "crucial" in deciding Moldova's future. "Either we throw away everything w''ve achieved on our path to modernization and EU integration, or we move forward toward peace and development," Grosu said. "Our goal is to ensure that Moldova stays on the road to peace, avoids falling under Kremlin influence, and preserves its sovereignty and freedom," he added. Throughout her tenure, Sandu has steered Moldova toward a pro-European trajectory, overseeing the country's European Union accession process. Moldova formally launched accession negotiations with the EU in June 2024, two years after applying for membership alongside Ukraine. Simultaneously, the country has grappled with overt Russian interference, as Moscow seeks to pull it back into its orbit. In September, Moldova will once again decide whether it will continue on its European path, or whether it will move closer to Russia. Read also: Belarus Weekly: Poland reports attacks on border guards, one allegedly involving a Belarusian serviceman We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
