Moldova says no to the EU according to preliminary figures

The election results are delayed but the preliminary figures say that Moldova will vote no in the referendum on joining the EU, AFP reports.

When more than 40 percent of the votes were counted, 56 percent said no and 44 percent said yes.

The referendum was initiated by pro-EU President Maia Sandu, who also ran for re-election in a first round presidential election on Sunday.

Pressured by Russia

Both elections are taking place amid strong Russian attempts to influence the outcome.

– Our country is at a crossroads. A group of thieves is trying to deceive the public, says Prime Minister Dorin Recean, who urges Moldovans to “vigilance”.

As well as the White House, the EU Parliament and Moldovan authorities have pointed out that Moscow is trying to influence the election and steer the country away from the EU and the West.

It concerns, among other things, suspicions concerning a huge influence campaign, where votes from hundreds of thousands of people may have been bought by pro-Russian groups. This week, over 100 Moldovans were also arrested who are said to have been trained in Moscow to create disorder around the voting.

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