Moldova's President Maia Sandu took office today for a second term and stressed the importance of the pro-European choice made by citizens "despite pressure," after elections marred by accusations of Russian interference in the country, Agence France-Presse reported, quoted by BTA.
"We can be proud of the fact that despite the trials, we managed to stand on the right side of history," Sandu said while taking the oath before parliament and the Constitutional Court. She added that Moldova voted “for a clear direction, a developed country, a European country, where there is greater security and prosperity.“
In November, Sandu won the second round of the presidential election with 55.33% of the vote, defeating the pro-Russian socialist-backed Alexander Stoyanoglou, who collected 44.67%. This was another stage in her policy of rapprochement with the European Union, which began in 2020.
Maia Sandu, the first female president of Moldova, owes her success to a large extent to the support of the diaspora. Inside the country, challenges remain enormous: rural areas, the breakaway region of Transnistria and the autonomous region of Gagauzia retain their pro-Russian sentiments.
The elections and public order were marked by disinformation, mass vote-buying, cyberattacks and threats. The Russian Kremlin has accused the authorities in Chisinau of repressing the "opposition and independent media."
"After the pandemic came inflation, the energy crisis and gas blackmail. Now we are faced with blackmail with darkness," Sandu said in his speech as the country braces for a harsh winter with expected power outages.
Moldova is highly dependent on energy supplies – 70% of its electricity comes from the "Kuchurgan" thermal power plant, located in Transnistria and relying on Russian gas passing through Ukraine. The termination of the transit contract by Ukraine and the reluctance of "Gazprom" to use alternative routes are aggravating the crisis.
Moldova, with its 2.6 million inhabitants, is confidently continuing its path towards integration into the European Union. In June, the EU officially opened accession negotiations with the country, which Sandu described as “resolute and Europe-oriented.“
These words sum up the challenges and ambitions of Moldova, which, despite all the difficulties, remains steadfast in its pursuit of a better future.