Second round of presidential elections in Moldova

The second round of presidential elections has begun in Moldova. Citizens are choosing between the incumbent President Maia Sandu and a politician from Gagauzia, an autonomous territorial entity within Moldova, Alexandru Stoianoglo, who represents the Party of Socialists.

Polling stations opened at 7:00 local time (8:00 Moscow time). There are more than 2,200 of them, 231 of which are working abroad. Based on the results of the vote, the president will be elected for four years. Polling stations will close at 21:00 local time (22:00 Moscow time).

The turnout in the second round exceeded 20%, the country’s Central Election Commission reported. According to the commission, this is enough to recognize the elections as valid. Exit polls are not conducted in Moldova; information on the results of the second round will begin to arrive on the night after the elections as the votes are counted.

The first round took place on October 20. None of the candidates managed to overcome the 50% barrier. Sandu gained 42.31%, and Stoianoglo – 26.07%. Simultaneously with the presidential elections, a referendum on changing the constitution for joining the European Union was held in Moldova. 50.46% of voters supported the changes, 49.54% did not. Sandu is in favor of European integration, and her opponent Stoianoglo is against it.

Moldova is a parliamentary republic, and the president formally has symbolic powers. This rule does not apply in Sandu’s case: in the 2021 elections, her party “Action and Solidarity” won an absolute majority in parliament, and she oversees the work of the government of Dorin Recean. Stoianoglo for president is the country’s largest opposition force, the Party of Socialists, whose leader Igor Dodon has repeatedly met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and expressed support for his policies.