Elections

Moldovan Leader Seals Election Win to Revive EU Entry Path

Vowing to steer country into EU, Sandu secures more than 55%
Election was seen as test amid ‘massive Russian interference’

Maia Sandu speaks following the second round of the presidential election in Chisinau, Moldova, on Nov. 3.Photographer: Daniel Mihailescu/AFP/Getty Images

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By Lina Grau and Andra Timu

November 3, 2024 at 4:25 PM EST

Updated on

November 4, 2024 at 9:58 AM EST

Moldovan President Maia Sandu pulled out a decisive election victory in the former Soviet republic on Sunday, defying Russian efforts to disrupt the ballot and revive her push to steer the country into the European Union by the end of the decade.

The victory, with just over 55% of the vote, took place after an Oct. 20 referendum on Moldova’s EU membership squeaked through by an unexpectedly thin margin — and as authorities cited “massive interference” from Moscow.