Victory for Moldova's ruling pro-EU party at key parliamentary elections was a "loud and clear" message from voters despite Russian meddling, European Union chief Antonio Costa said.
"The people of Moldova have spoken and their message is loud and clear. They chose democracy, reform and a European future, in the face of pressure and interference from Russia," European Council head Costa wrote on X.
"The EU stands with Moldova. Every step of the way."
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen congratulated the Moldovan people and said: "No attempt to sow fear or division could break your resolve."
"You made your choice clear: Europe. Democracy. Freedom. Our door is open. And we will stand with you every step of the way. The future is yours," she wrote on X.
🇲🇩 Moldova, you've done it again.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) September 29, 2025
⁰No attempt to sow fear or division could break your resolve.
You made your choice clear:
⁰Europe. Democracy. Freedom.
Our door is open. And we will stand with you every step of the way.⁰
The future is yours.
Moldova's ruling pro-EU party won parliamentary elections with the backing of more than half of voters, according to near-complete results.
The polls were overshadowed by accusations of Russian interference in the former Soviet republic.
The strong performance by President Maia Sandu's Party of Action and Solidarity against the Patriotic Bloc will be a relief for the government and its European partners who had accused Moscow of seeking to influence the outcome.
Polls leading up to the election put PAS and Patriotic Bloc neck-and-neck with neither likely to get close to a majority.
The near-final tally by Moldova's electoral commission allows the government to push for its goal of EU membership by 2030.
Watch: Moldovans cheer pro-EU election victory
It also spares Moldova the political horse trading that had threatened to invite more instability following what officials described as a Russian campaign to disrupt the vote and derail Chisinau's course toward Europe.
Moscow has denied meddling in Moldova.
With nearly all votes counted, PAS won 50.1% versus 24.2% for the Patriotic Bloc, which had sought to steer Moldova closer to Moscow.
The buildup to an election that PAS leaders called the most consequential since Moldova's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 was marred by accusations of foul play by both sides up to and on the day of polling.
Ms Sandu's government warned Moldovans that Russia had attempted to sway the vote through widespread disinformation and vote-buying.
Stanislav Secrieru, Ms Sandu's national security adviser, said election infrastructure and government websites had come under cyber attack, and that fake bomb threats were called in to polling stations in Moldova and abroad.
Yesterday, Patriotic Bloc co-leader Igor Dodon, a former Moldovan president, called for protests the next day in front of parliament, claiming that Ms Sandu was planning to annul the vote. He did not provide evidence.
Authorities, which had also warned of Russian-backed attempts to stir unrest after the vote, will watch closely to see if Mr Dodon follows through on the threat, and what crowds he can command if he does.
Moldova - with a population of 2.4 million people that has been buffeted by the war in neighbouring Ukraine, alleged Russian interference and energy shortages - has long vacillated between Russia and Europe.
The Patriotic Bloc and other opposition groups had sought to tap into voter anger over economic pain and the slow pace of reforms - grievances worsened by what officials say has been widespread disinformation.
Inflation remains stubbornly high at around 7%, while Moldovans also shoulder higher costs for imported energy.
But the electoral performance by PAS suggests its platform of European integration and breaking with Russia still resonates among wide swathes of voters.
