Supporters of the pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), led by Moldovan President Maia Sandu, breathed a collective sigh of relief. At PAS headquarters in Chisinau, tension was palpable during the initial ballot counting on the evening of Moldova’s legislative elections, held on Sunday, September 28. The party quickly took the lead, but optimism remained cautious: Would it secure an absolute majority, against all predictions? Only around 1 am (Chisinau time) did the fear of a minority government facing pro-Russian parties finally dissipate.

The PAS ultimately garnered more than 50% of the vote after 99.5% of the votes were counted, granting it an absolute majority. According to projections, it would receive 55 out of 101 seats, compared to 63 in the outgoing Parliament. The pro-Russian Patriotic Electoral Bloc trailed far behind with 24.2% of votes, followed by Alternative Bloc (7.9%) and Our Party (6.2%), two parties that declare themselves pro-European but are anti-PAS and will also enter Parliament.

Another small surprise was the entry of the Democracy at Home Party, which advocates for the union of Romania and Moldova. It barely cleared the 5% threshold required for parliamentary seats. The party was propelled on social media by the Romanian far right, riding on an anti-PAS message similar to pro-Russian rhetoric.

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