Moldova’s Leader Sandu Dealt Setback With Close EU Referendum Result
- EU vote looks set to squeak through on thinnest of margins
- Sandu wins first round in presidential contest; runoff Nov. 3
Moldovan President Maia Sandu faced an unexpected setback as a referendum on joining the European Union appeared on track to pass with a slim margin, defying pre-vote polls showing a consistent majority in the former Soviet republic backing accession.
Sandu, who secured a victory in the first round of the nation’s presidential election, denounced what she called Russian meddling in the contest in an “unprecedented assault on our country’s freedom and democracy.”