Maia Sandu has won a second term as President of the Republic of Moldova, according to final results after counting 100% of the votes in the second round of the presidential election held on Sunday, November 3.
Maia Sandu leads in the race for a new term with 55.33% of the votes, while Alexandr Stoianoglo received 44.67%, reports NewsMaker.md.
The Central Electoral Commission confirmed the validity of the presidential election, announced the head of the institution, Angelica Caraman. The turnout was 54.31%. More than 1.69 million voters went to the polls. Caraman also said that the largest voter turnout in the diaspora was registered since polling stations were organized abroad. The largest number of voters in the diaspora was registered in Moscow, Brescia, Bucharest and Padua.
The votes outside the Republic of Moldova determined the new president. In the country, the socialist Alexandr Stoianoglo won with 51.19%. However, with a percentage of 82.71% in the diaspora, Maia Sandu secured her second mandate. Stoianoglo won with 30,000 votes on the territory of Moldova over Sandu.
Maia Sandu thanked voters for turning out, regardless of their choice, and promised to implement changes, stating that her priority will be accelerating the fight against corruption and ensuring an effective justice system.
“Moldova, you are a winner! Today, dear Moldovans, you offered a lesson in democracy, worthy of being written in history textbooks. Today, you saved Moldova,” Maia Sandu began her speech. “In our choice for a dignified future, no one lost. Freedom, truth and justice won. Moldova managed to show its will and power through the vote of each of us”, Maia Sandu said.
Elected thanks to votes from the diaspora, Maia Sandu had a few words especially for Moldovans abroad: “Diaspora, you are amazing! Today, our diaspora gave us another lesson from which each of us must learn. Our Moldovans from far away showed again that Moldova beats in their chests as strongly as it beats in our chests, those here, at home”, said Maia Sandu in her speech, which also included the word “family” and numerous references to the idea of unity.
She also praised the “extraordinary” mobilization demonstrated by Chisinau and especially the young people, who “impressed with a historic mobilization to vote”.
Later, she also sent the message in Russian, wanting to show that she is also addressing the Russian-speaking communities in the country who predominantly voted for her opponent, Alexandr Stoianoglo, himself a poor speaker of the Romanian language.
Romanian and foreign officials congratulated Maia Sandu for her victory
President Klaus Iohannis congratulated Maia Sandu, Monday morning, through a message on the X platform. “Congratulations, Maia Sandu, for the historic victory! The Romanian people are with the citizens of the Republic of Moldova in this success, which irreversibly anchors the country’s destiny in the European family”, wrote Iohannis.
The Romanian MFA welcomes the victory of the incumbent president, Maia Sandu, in the presidential elections in the Republic of Moldova. “MAE congratulates the authorities of the Republic of Moldova for the impeccable organization of the election, in a context complicated by massive external interference, manifested by misinformation, harmful propaganda and obvious, systematic actions of manipulation and destabilization. Through the massive turnout, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova once again showed high civic sense, responsibility and democratic commitment, maturity and discernment, at an essential moment for the future of the Republic of Moldova”, says a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs “Along with the positive result recorded in the constitutional referendum of October 20, 2024 regarding the European integration of the Republic of Moldova, the re-election of President Maia Sandu confirms once again the solid support of the citizens for the broad, essential democratic reforms that the re-elected President and the authorities of the Republic of Moldova have implemented with determination in recent years”, according to a press release from the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu declared that Maia Sandu’s victory in the second round of the presidential elections in the Republic of Moldova is a clear proof of the will of the Moldovan people to defend their democracy and ensure their path to joining the European Union. “I wholeheartedly congratulate the Moldovan people and I also congratulate Maia Sandu for a huge victory! Moldovans from all over the world wrote history today. They reconfirmed in front of the whole world not only their courage, but also their full confidence in their European future! They fought with determination against an infernal mechanism set up by Russia, which tried to massively undermine democracy by buying votes on a large scale”, the Romanian prime minister wrote on Facebook.
US President Joe Biden congratulated Maia Sandu for her victory, noting that Russia failed in its attempt to undermine Moldova’s elections process.
“I congratulate Maia Sandu on her historic reelection as the President of Moldova.
On Sunday, the Moldovan people went to the polls and voted in favor of President Sandu’s vision for a secure, prosperous, and democratic Moldova. President Sandu’s reelection comes just two weeks after the Moldovan people passed a constitutional referendum in support of membership in the European Union.
For months, Russia sought to undermine Moldova’s democratic institutions and election processes. But Russia failed. The Moldovan people have exercised their democratic right to choose their own future, and they have chosen to pursue a path aligned with Europe and democracies everywhere”, Biden’s statement reads.
This is a clear result, Yes. But there is a loud message also: stop hating the other side, work with them because you are a hostage of Geography.