Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Moldova's presidential runoff sees big Russia-West divide

Moldovans are voting in the second round of  the country's presidential election

Via AP news wire
Sunday 15 November 2020 06:10 EST
Moldova Presidential Elections
Moldova Presidential Elections (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Moldovans returned to the polls Sunday for a presidential runoff, facing a stark choice between the staunchly pro-Russian incumbent and his popular challenger, a pro-Western former World Bank economist.

The challenger, former Prime Minister Maia Sandu beat the odds to win the first round on Nov. 1, which narrowed the field from eight to two candidates. Sandu won over 36% of the vote, leaving the incumbent, President Igor Dodon behind by over 3.5 points.

The election is perceived as a referendum on two divergent visions for the future of the small Eastern European nation sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania.

Dodon, who Russian President Vladimir Putin has identified as his preferred candidate, and Sandu have been rivals since he narrowly defeated her in the 2016 presidential race.

Ever since gaining independence in 1992 after the Soviet collapse in 1991, Moldova has been divided between those favoring closer relations with the European Union and those who prefer stronger links with Moscow.

In 2014, while run by a pro-European coalition, the country of 3.5 million people signed a deal on closer political and economic ties with the EU, now a bloc of 27 nations. However, Brussels has since been increasingly critical of Moldova's progress on reforms.

Sandu, a former World Bank economist, promised during the campaign to secure more financial support from Brussels if she becomes president.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in