Moldova referendum: Provisional results show thin margin for EU membership

At Sandu’s election headquarters on Sunday night, the temper was extraordinarily subdued, with certainly one of her advisers describing the consequence as far as “not what we anticipated”.

Sandu, who has cultivated shut ties with Moldova’s EU neighbours, had campaigned for the Sure vote within the referendum. She had beforehand stated the vote was would arrange the way forward for Moldova for “many a long time forward”.

When the primary outcomes started trickling in exhibiting that the No vote had completed higher than anticipated, Sandu’s staff put the disappointing outcomes right down to the primary rely coming in from villages and rural areas.

The massive metropolis rely narrowed the lead for the No vote, however by 01:00 (22:00 GMT) few thought the Sure camp might nonetheless stand an opportunity.

Lots of Sandu’s supporters left her headquarters in Chisinau the place they’d been hoping to have fun her victory earlier than the rely was even over. The little EU flags they’d been given to wave had been deserted, on chairs or strewn on the bottom.

However because the evening went on, the hole narrowed even additional.

Ultimately, the Sure vote clinched it – however solely simply.

Voter turnout stood at greater than 51% when polls closed at 21:00 native time (18:00 GMT), making the referendum legitimate.

A number of presidential candidates boycotted the referendum. Aleksandr Stoianoglo stated he didn’t assist the thought of fixing the structure – though he added he was a supporter of his nation’s “European aspirations”.

Nonetheless, many younger folks queuing at polling stations on Sunday had been vocal about their assist for Moldova’s future as an EU member state, with some saying they had been voting as a result of they needed to decide on a European future for his or her nation – for the sake of the economic system and for extra alternatives.

Some stated they had been fed up of being “pulled” in the direction of Moscow, a long time after the Soviet Union collapsed and Moldova turned impartial.

“We’ve to decide on a European future for our nation, for our kids, our future – for geopolitics, for peace, that’s a very powerful,” a voter known as Oksana advised the BBC. “As a result of we’re between Europe and Russian affect, and we’ve got to decide on what we would like.”