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The pro-western president, Maia Sandu, hopes to advance her agenda by winning a second term and securing a yes vote in a referendum to affirm EU accession as an irreversible goal in the constitution.
Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, Moldova has oscillated between pro-western and pro-Russian courses, but under Sandu the country has accelerated its push to escape Moscow's orbit amid its war in neighbouring Ukraine.
Sandu, a former World Bank official, was elected president in November 2020, riding a wave of popularity as an anti-corruption reformer with a pro-European agenda.
Polls tip Sandu to win in the first round and suggest that up to 65% of voters support joining the EU, though the sitting president could face a more difficult path if forced into a second-round runoff.
Sandu and her allies have warned that the election outcomes could be affected by a large-scale influence campaign of vote-buying and misinformation orchestrated by Russia and its proxies. In particular, they accuse the fugitive pro-Russian businessman Ilan Shor, a vocal opponent of EU membership, of running a destabilising campaign from Moscow.
Olga Roșca, a foreign policy adviser to Sandu, said: “Russia is pouring millions in dirty money to hijack our democratic processes. This isn't just meddling - it's full-blown interference aimed at destabilising our future. And it is alarming.”
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 19, 2024 من The Guardian.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة October 19, 2024 من The Guardian.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
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Clubs will disappear Grassroots rugby still crying out for help in shadow of Six Nations riches
ou may have noticed that the sports pages are less, well, sporty than they once were.
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'Buckle up and enjoy the ride' Van Dijk calls on Liverpool to calm nerves and relish title race
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Julianne Moore children's book under 'ideology' review in US
Julianne Moore has said it is a \"great shock\" to learn that one of her books has been \"banned by the Trump administration\" from schools serving the children of US military personnel and civilian defence employees.
Rise in teenagers penalised for riding e-scooters
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Push to free Letby 'not right thing to do', says Streeting
Wes Streeting has said \"waging a campaign\" on behalf of Lucy Letby is \"not the right thing to do\".
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Bringing wolves back to Scotland could restore woodland - study
Reintroducing wolves in the Scottish Highlands could lead to an expansion of native woodland, which could take in and store 1m tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, researchers have suggested.