Moldova Sets Elections For September 28 In Battle Between EU and Russian Camps

Moldova's lawmakers voted to set the next parliamentary elections for September 28 in a test for the country's fragile democracy caught between pro-European and pro-Russian forces.

A total of 57 lawmakers voted on April 17 to hold the elections on September 28, against 32 abstentions.

President Maia Sandu's pro-Western PAS party is expected to face a strong challenge from a three-party coalition led by her rival, Alexandr Stoianoglo.

The Harvard University educated, former World Bank official narrowly edged out Stoianoglo in a presidential election late last year.

Stoianoglo, a former prosecutor-general, will lead the coalition that says it wants to improve ties with Russia while also keeping a westward orientation.

Speaking before parliament's decision, Sandu said the country was committed to holding to fair elections, adding that Moldovans must "decide the country's future" and that the justice system must "punish those who engage in vote-buying or coercion."

Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries, secured EU candidate status in 2022 and opened accession talks last year after firmly aligning itself with its neighbor, Ukraine, following Russia's unprovoked invasion in 2022, and joining the EU sanctions regime against Moscow.

Sandu has tied her legacy to Moldova being in the European Union, while Stoianoglo, from Gagauzia -- a Turkic-speaking autonomous region of Moldova with pro-Russian sentiment -- has pushed a law-and-order theme.

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However, as prosecutor-general, Stoianoglo was widely criticized for his failure to address high-level corruption.

Most notably, he was accused of inaction in the cases of Veaceslav Platon, an oligarch involved in the disappearance of around $1 billion from the country's banks and fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, who was caught on camera giving PRSM leader and former President Igor Dodon a suspicious-looking bag.

Russia has long been accused of destabilizing Moldovan politics via disinformation and financial support for fringe parties.

Moscow has condemned what it describes as "Western interference" in Moldova's domestic affairs, particularly after Sandu's PAS party tightened campaign finance laws and banned pro-Russian media outlets accused of spreading war propaganda.

In Gagauzia, local authorities have openly defied central government reforms and analysts said it may play a disruptive role during the campaign period — especially if Russian-backed candidates are marginalized.

Meanwhile, in Transdniester, the separatist enclave with de facto Russian control, the elections are being watched as a barometer of Chisinau's political will.

A strong PAS victory, analysts said, could boost Moldova's efforts to assert authority over the breakaway region and tighten EU border security cooperation.

EU officials, including members of the European Parliament, have urged Moldova to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections, warning any sign of political repression or legal overreach could complicate accession talks.