Second Round of Presidential Elections Starts in Moldova, Macron Addresses Moldovans in Romanian
The second round of presidential elections has started in Moldova. The government warns of possible Russian interference in the voting process abroad, Politico reports.
Official Chisinau has warned that Russia may resort to ‘subversive activities’ against foreign polling stations during the second round of the presidential election in Moldova.
Moldova has sent a letter to Berlin informing it that its intelligence services have warned the government in Chisinau about Russia's ‘subversive activities’, which could include fake threats of mining polling stations.
Attempts to undermine the second round of voting may also target Moldova's foreign polling stations in France, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.
‘The goal is to disrupt the electoral process,’ the letter says.
On the eve of the second round of elections, French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the citizens of Moldova in Romanian. He published his address on the X network.
Macron said that he decided to address Moldovan citizens ‘at a decisive moment for Moldova, and for our Europe’.
‘The European path is the path of freedom and democracy, the foundation of a common future. We are stronger together,’ the French President said.
The second round of elections in Moldova will decide whether incumbent President Maia Sandu will remain in power. In the first round of voting two weeks ago, Sandu won 42% of support, beating the pro-Russian candidate, Alexandru Stoianoglo, who received 26%.
After the first round, the EU said that the elections in Moldova were held under unprecedented pressure from Russia.