Commentary
Economic Security
Beijing Tries to Keep Friends in CEE
26 May 2026
As Moldova grapples with recent elections and rising pro-Russian sentiment, the struggle for European integration underscores the delicate aspirations of post-Soviet nations.
An exasperated President Maia Sandu addressed reporters briefly the night after Moldova’s presidential election and referendum on European integration, citing widespread voter bribery.
By morning, it became clear that pro-EU supporters were narrowly leading in the referendum, and Sandu herself had advanced to the second round alongside Socialist candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo. Sandu called on her supporters for another fight, urging them to stop ‘the return of the (pro-Russian – Ed.) thugs to power’.
A victory for Sandu in the second round is far from assured, raising the possibility that Moldova, like Georgia, could abandon its European path.
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