Parliamentary elections were held in Moldova on September 28, 2025, with the pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (Partidul Acțiune și Solidaritate) led by President Maia Sandu winning the vote. Discussing the results two days later on Alfa Radio and SB TV with host Vadzim Shepet, Aliaksei Bialiaeu, dean of the Journalism Department at Belarusian State University, claimed that pro-European forces won only thanks to votes from the Moldovan diaspora, while residents of the country supported pro-Russian parties.
"We can see that the pro-European forces currently in power, led by President Maia Sandu, do not enjoy genuine support or popularity within Moldova itself. Because even from the results of these rigged elections — stretched to fit the narrative like a poor owl on a globe — it was still clear that inside Moldova, just as in the previous presidential election, victory belonged to the other side. Meaning those who advocate for closer ties with the Russian Federation, for a return to the family of former post-Soviet republics, and for less engagement with Europe."
Both of Bialiaeu’s claims — about the diaspora’s influence on the election results and the overall victory of pro-Russian forces — do not align with reality.
The ruling Party of Action and Solidarity won 50.2% percent of the vote. The Patriotic Bloc (Blocul Electoral Patriotic), often described as a pro-Russian political force, came in second. It was supported by 24.17% of voters.
Nearly 280,000 voters abroad took part in the parliamentary elections, accounting for 17.5% of all ballots cast. Most of them supported the Party of Action and Solidarity. In the United States, Japan, Romania, India, Canada, and Denmark, the share of votes for the party exceeded 80%. Only in three countries — Russia, Belarus, and Bulgaria — did the pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc come out ahead.
Within Moldova, the ruling party also led the vote, receiving about 44% of ballots. The Patriotic Bloc received 28%.
The other three parties that took part in the elections do not advocate for Moldova’s “return to the family of post-Soviet republics.” Democracy at Home Party (Democraţia Acasă) supports unification of Moldova with Romania. The Alternativa Bloc (Blocul Alternativa) favors joining the European Union, although one of its leaders has been banned from entering Romania on national security grounds over suspected ties to Russia. Our Party (Partidul Nostru) calls for a 10-year pause in debates over the country’s geopolitical direction, although its leader, businessman Renato Usatîi, has spoken in favor of pragmatic economic relations with Russia and purchasing gas from it — a stance that sometimes earns him the “pro-Russian” label.
Taken together, parties and blocs with a pro-European orientation received 60% of the vote. Those considered pro-Russian received 35%.
