Moldova votes narrowly for EU membership amid fraud allegations

Moldova's referendum on joining the European Union (EU) took place amid "unprecedented interference" by Russia and its proxies, an EU spokesperson said on Monday.

According to the Central Election Commission of Moldova, of the 99.59 percent of votes counted 50.45 percent voted in favor, while 49.55 percent opposed.

The referendum asked Moldovans whether they supported amending their constitution to include Moldova's commitment to joining the EU.

If approved, the preamble to Moldova's constitution would be amended to include the following: "Affirming the European identity of the people of the Republic of Moldova and the irreversibility of Moldova's European path, declaring integration into the European Union as a strategic goal of the Republic of Moldova."

Earlier results suggested that Moldovans had rejected plans to enshrine EU integration in the Constitution. Preliminary results from 70 percent of the ballots showed a slim lead for the "no" camp on Sunday evening.

However, the late tallying of votes from Moldovans abroad gave a last-minute boost to the "yes" side.

This led to accusations from Russia that the vote was "not free".

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "What we see is a mechanically hard-to-explain rate of increase in votes in favour of Sandu and in favour of those referendum participants who favored an EU orientation."

'Fraud of unprecedented scale'

By contrast, the EU blamed Russia for its own interference. EU spokesperson Peter Stano said: "This vote took place under unprecedented interference and intimidation by Russia and its proxies, aiming to destabilize the democratic processes in the Republic of Moldova." 

Moldova's pro-EU President Maia Sandu responded to the referendum results by accusing "criminal groups" of voter fraud.

In a speech early on Monday, Sandu told Moldovan citizens there was "clear evidence" that these groups, allegedly working with "foreign forces hostile to our national interests," had attempted to buy off 300,000 votes. She described the situation as "fraud of unprecedented scale."

Observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said Moldova's presidential election and referendum were 'well-managed', though campaigns had been marred by foreign interference and active disinformation efforts.

In a report published on Monday, the OSCE mission said it assessed the voting "overwhelmingly positively" but noted a few procedural problems and misuse of administrative resources during campaigns.

Majority decision

The law will be considered adopted if the majority of citizens who participated in the referendum vote in favor of it.

The Commission will present a report on the referendum results to the Constitutional Court, which will then confirm or reject the outcomes of the plebiscite within 10 days.

Moldova began formal accession talks in June, and under Sandu, the country aims to join the EU by 2030. Relations with Moscow have worsened since Sandu condemned Russia's actions in Ukraine and diversified Moldova's energy supply away from Russia.

Voter turnout was close to 50 percent, significantly higher than the 33 percent threshold required for the result to be valid.

Pro-Russian parties had called on citizens to either vote 'no' or boycott the referendum entirely.

Sandu stated that the results of the referendum in Moldova pave the way for amendments to the Constitution, solidifying the country's strategic course toward closer ties with the European Union.

But she criticized efforts to undermine the vote. "Criminal groups... have attacked our country with tens of millions of euros, lies, and propaganda, using the most disgraceful methods to keep our citizens and nation in a state of uncertainty and instability," she said.

Sandu also emphasized that the government was waiting for the final results and pledged to respond decisively. "We will respond with firm decisions," she stated in a separate written release.

In the lead-up to the vote, authorities repeatedly claimed there were coordinated attempts to interfere in the election by fugitive tycoon Ilan Shor, who currently resides in Russia. 

Shor, sentenced in absentia for fraud and his role in the theft of $1 billion from Moldova's banking system, was accused by the police of attempting to bribe a network of at least 130,000 voters to vote 'no' in the referendum and support "our candidate" in the presidential election.

Authorities also said they uncovered a plot involving hundreds of individuals being taken to Russia to receive training aimed at orchestrating riots and creating "mass disorder" in Moldova.

Sandu has consistently warned of Russian efforts to interfere in the election - claims that Moscow has firmly denied.

Presidential election run-off 

On October 20, Moldova held two simultaneous votes - presidential elections featuring 11 candidates and a referendum on the country's European integration.

According to the latest available data, Moldova's Central Election Commission had processed 99.64 percent of the presidential ballots. The results show that 42.37 percent of the population voted for Sandu. 

In second place is Alexandr Stoianoglo, a 57-year-old former prosecutor supported by the pro-Russian Socialists, with 26.02 percent of the vote.

With no candidate securing an outright majority, the presidential election is expected to head to a second round on November 3.

Sandu has invited Stoianoglo to participate in debates. 

At a news conference, Sandu stated: "I respect the vote of those who put their trust in you. This week, we must have a serious debate about how we see the future of Moldova. Let our citizens listen and decide."