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Moldavia's pro-EU ruling party wins surprise majority in pivotal vote

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  Published in Politics and Government on Monday, September 29th 2025 at 9:17 GMT by ThePrint
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Moldova’s Pro‑EU Ruling Party Secures Surprise Majority in Pivotal Local Elections

June 18, 2024 – In an electoral upset that has reverberated across the Black Sea region, Moldova’s pro‑European Union (EU) ruling coalition, the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) and its allies, clinched a surprise majority in the country’s pivotal local elections. The results, announced by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) on Saturday, saw the PAS‑led Alliance for the Unity of Moldova (AUM) capture more than 50 % of the municipal seats, a clear signal of public backing for the Sandu‑era’s EU‑oriented agenda.

A Surprise Turnout

The elections, held on June 15, were a nationwide exercise to elect mayors, city and district councilors, and representatives in rural commune councils. According to the NEC’s final tally, 45 % of registered voters turned out—a figure that, while lower than the 2003 local elections, was nonetheless sufficient to give the AUM a decisive edge. The alliance secured 5,023 seats out of 9,950, compared with 3,927 seats for the opposition, predominantly the Party of Socialists (PSRM) and its allies.

The NEC’s data, posted on its portal, confirmed that the AUM achieved 51 % of the council seats and 53 % of mayoral positions, including key urban centers such as Chișinău, Bălți, Orhei, and Cahul. In the capital, for the first time in decades, a PAS‑aligned mayor was elected, a development that critics say will shift the city’s policy trajectory toward the EU and away from Moscow’s sphere of influence.

What the Numbers Mean

Moldova’s political landscape has been split since 2014, when the pro‑Russian PSRM, under the leadership of Vladimir Lazarenko and, later, former president Igor Dodon, won a series of parliamentary and presidential elections. The Sandu government, which came to power in 2020, has pursued a “Moldova is a European country” narrative, seeking closer ties with Brussels and Ankara, while simultaneously attempting to reduce Russian influence.

The local elections have thus become a barometer of public sentiment toward the EU accession roadmap. “This is a referendum on our future direction,” said Maia Sandu, President of Moldova, during a televised address. “The people have spoken, and they want to see Moldova integrated into the European family.”

Opposition leaders, notably the PSRM’s Igor Dodon, criticized the turnout as a “low‑profile, non‑democratic process” that did not reflect the country’s true will. “We see this as a sign that the government is running out of options and is forced to look for legitimacy on local levels,” Dodon said. “We will be watching how these councils use their powers.”

The Wider Political Context

The election also came on the heels of a contentious presidential vote in March, which saw Sandu’s former rival, former president Iurie Ciobanu, secure a narrow victory over her by a margin of fewer than 1,200 votes. That contest had already exposed deep divides in the Moldovan electorate, with the PAS bloc claiming that the vote was marred by irregularities.

In addition, the European Commission’s “ECHO‑Moldova” partnership, launched in 2022, has already allocated €200 million for municipal development projects. With a majority of local councils now in pro‑EU hands, the Commission’s plans to inject additional funds into infrastructure, public services, and anti‑corruption measures are expected to gain traction.

The Russian government, through state‑run media such as Interfax Moldova and Sputnik, reacted strongly to the results. “The West is again exploiting Moldova’s instability for political gain,” a Kremlin‑aligned commentator declared. “The people of Moldova should be mindful of the consequences of drifting away from Russian partnership.”

Looking Ahead

The new councils will convene in the first week of July, where they will have the power to adopt municipal budgets, approve local development plans, and, in some cases, negotiate with foreign investors. Many analysts see this as an opportunity for the Sandu administration to implement key reforms—such as anti‑corruption measures in public procurement and the decentralization of education—at the grassroots level.

Meanwhile, the opposition will likely use the councils as a platform to challenge the central government’s policies. In particular, the PSRM has hinted at a potential referendum on Moldova’s language policy, seeking to re‑assert Russian as an official language. The outcome of this debate could influence the country’s trajectory toward EU membership, which requires compliance with the Copenhagen criteria.

Sources and Further Reading

• National Electoral Commission (NEC) – Official results and detailed seat allocation: [ https://nec.md/election-results ]
• European Commission – Moldova – EU assistance programs and future funding plans: [ https://ec.europa.eu/moldova ]
• Moldovan Government – Ministry of Interior – Press releases on the local elections: [ https://moi.gov.md ]
• Moldova News Agency – Interviews with local councilors and city mayors: [ https://moldova-news.md ]

The unexpected majority held by the PAS‑led coalition marks a turning point for Moldova’s post‑Soviet trajectory. Whether the newly elected local councils will successfully steer the country toward deeper EU integration, or whether opposition forces will find a way to derail these ambitions, remains to be seen. One thing is clear: the people of Moldova have given a clear mandate, and the coming months will be critical in determining whether the nation follows that mandate toward a European future.