IRI Preliminary Statement of the 2025 Moldova Parl...

Chișinău, Moldova - On September 28, 2025, Moldova held parliamentary elections to select its next legislature-the first parliamentary vote under Moldova's recently reformed Electoral Code and the 12th legislative election to take place since independence. The vote takes place at a time when the citizens of Moldova believe the outcome may strongly influence whether Moldova continues its path toward the European Union or tilts back toward Kremlin's orbit. President Maia Sandu, who is the founder of the incumbent Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) and who secured Moldova's candidate status and opened negotiations for a path to EU accession has characterized the elections as "existential" for Moldova's future.

Moldova has made impressive strides to align its legal frameworks to international conventions for democratic elections, to bolster political participation of minorities, and to proactively work toward more responsive and accountable governance. Moldova's Central Election Commission has made great progress toward enacting meaningful reforms to advance electoral integrity in accordance with international standards and should be commended for their perseverance and professionalism under profound external threats, often delivering results under adverse conditions.

Moldova has also demonstrated remarkable progress through its vibrant civil society, robust citizen monitoring and oversight, a skilled and effective security sector and police force, political parties that have strengthened financial transparency and reporting, and a highly motivated electorate-including a committed diaspora-that turned out in large numbers on election day, embodying the nation's enduring commitment to democratic ideals.

Despite this progress, the country's democratic gains continue to face challenges from forces determined to weaken its institutions and subvert the popular will-chief among them, malign foreign interference emanating from the Russian Federation. There were credible reports that Russia sought to employ tactics of coercion, intimidation, vote buying, and threats of political violence at an unprecedented scale.

In 2025, persistent threats to destabilize the country intensified with a surge of illegal funding. Interlinked with cryptocurrency. Financial flows via third parties were used to fund a range of illegal activities aimed at disruption and information manipulation, as well as the co-opting religious leaders to promote pro-Kremlin propaganda.

IRI unequivocally condemns Russia's attempts to influence the outcome of Moldova's election and state institutions. These acts represent not only an attack on the country's sovereignty but constitutes a direct assault on the core values of democracy.

On election day, preliminary results show over 1.6 million voters turned out to vote-52 percent. Polls were professionally staffed and properly equipped, opening on time according to procedures. This was complemented by strong civic engagement, as both citizen and international observers were present at many polling stations, ensuring transparency and accountability despite concerns stemming from the last-minute disqualification of two parties. Observers did witness long lines and lack of availability of ballots at certain polling stations for Transnistrian voters. Overall, the voting environment was calm though there were multiple bomb threats in six cities abroad which caused temporary disruptions as well as similar scares in country. Closing procedures were similarly orderly with high presence of observers, reinforcing the integrity of the proceedings.

IRI continues to monitor the electoral process including the announcement of provisional and official results and the adjudication of disputes. At the conclusion of the process, IRI will issue a comprehensive final report.