On November 3, in the second round of the presidential elections in the Republic of Moldova, pro-European candidate Maia Sandu won a major victory against Alexandr Stoianoglo, supported by pro-Russian political parties and criminal structures associated with Russian security services.

The electoral process in the Republic of Moldova was affected by a series of unprecedented external interferences, including attempts to buy votes, organized transports of Moldovan voters from the Community of Independent States, false bomb alerts in polling stations in the European Union and a widespread disinformation campaign.

While Maia Sandu’s victory is a major step towards consolidating Moldova’s pro-European course, the 2025 parliamentary elections will provide Russia with a new opportunity to try to influence the country’s geopolitical direction in the hope of installing a favorable parliamentary majority in Chisinau.

These challenges and prospects are detailed in a new analysis published by the New Strategy Center, by George Scutaru, NSC CEO and former Presidential Advisor for National Security, together with Ion Cristea, NSC international relations expert.

Maia Sandu, Important Victory in the Republic of Moldova’s Presidential Elections