Why Moldova came close to failing EU membership referendum - Analyst explains
Photo: Moldovans voting in the EU membership referendum (Getty Images)
In Moldova, just over half of voters supported EU integration in the referendum, and there are several reasons for this, said Ruslan Rokhov, political analyst and managing partner at PGR Consulting Group LLC, in a comment to RBC-Ukraine.
He believes the first reason is that there is a significant number of opponents to EU integration in Moldova, primarily from the pro-Russian electorate.
"The Russian Federation actively worked to expand its base by essentially intimidating Moldovans. They linked the future drift toward the EU with the fact that NATO would come next, and then military bases. This escalates the situation and provokes Moldova's involvement in the war," Rokhov added.
Additionally, the results may have been influenced by the electoral networks of Moldovan oligarch Ilan Șor, who has fled the country. These networks consist of about 130,000 citizens who are expected to vote against President Maia Sandu in the elections. Accordingly, this affected the number of opponents to EU membership.
Referendum in Moldova
The referendum took place in Moldova, proposing to enshrine the country's course toward the EU in the constitution.
According to the results, only 50.41% supported such an initiative.
For more details on the referendum outcomes, see the material by RBC-Ukraine.
