Moldova's Razor-Thin Vote Brings It Closer to EU Membership

Moldova narrowly voted to pursue European Union membership in a Sunday referendum, with 50.39% voting in favor of the EU path with 99.41% of the votes counted. The win was secured by the last few thousand votes coming from the country's diaspora, which cast about 200,000 or the 1.4 million votes. This razor-thin margin underscores the polarized sentiment within Moldova regarding its future alignment.

President Maia Sandu, a staunch supporter of European integration, raised alarms over alleged interference. Sandu accused "criminal groups" and foreign entities of trying to sway the referendum, stating, "We have clear evidence that these criminal groups aimed to buy 300,000 votes—a fraud of unprecedented scale." Her assertions come amid broader claims of a "hybrid war" by Moscow to thwart Moldova's EU ambitions through disinformation and electoral meddling.

The presidential election held at the same time showed Sandu leading with 42% but short of a majority, setting the stage for a runoff against Alexandr Stoianoglo on November 3. US officials echoed concerns over Russian interference, although Moscow denies any involvement. With a population of approximately 2.5 million, Moldova applied for EU candidacy in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and has since been navigating the complex path towards European integration. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)