Why did Romanian citizens in Moldova vote differently than the diaspora elsewhere in the West?

The parliamentary election in Romania was also closely monitored in the Republic of Moldova, which ranked fifth in terms of the number of Romanian citizens who voted in the December 1 election – over 81 thousand voters. In comparison to West-European states, where the diaspora voted massively for sovereigntist parties, Romanian citizens in the Republic of Moldova voted for USR, followed by the PNL.

According to data centralized by the Permanent Electoral Authority, the Save Romania Union (USR) grabbed nearly 55% of the votes cast in Moldova in the race for the Senate and over 61% in the Chamber of Deputies.

In the Senate, the National Liberal Party (PNL) ranked second, with almost 24%, with the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR) coming in third, grabbing a little over 5% of the votes.

In the Chamber of Deputies, Forța Dreptei (the Right-Wing Force) came in second place, with almost 10% of total votes, followed by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) with over 8% and AUR, which totaled approximately 6%.

Romanians in the Republic of Moldova refrain from voting for parties that sympathize with Russia

The vote of Romanian citizens in the Republic of Moldova differs from the general vote in the diaspora, because the situation in the Republic of Moldova is also different, political commentator Nicolae Negru argues.

“Since Romanian citizens in the Republic of Moldova started taking part in the elections in Romania, they have avoided voting for left-wing parties and parties that could be suspected of sympathizing with Russia, which could destabilize the European Union. We can observe the same trend in last Sunday's election. AUR, for instance, is a party that presents itself as unionist. However, there is no trust for this party, because the leader of AUR says he will not help Ukraine in its resistance against Russian aggression, much like other sovereigntist parties, which have declared their sympathy for Russia and Putin. So, there is nothing surprising about the way Romanians in the Republic of Moldova voted. They voted for PNL, which supported the Republic of Moldova in its European integration efforts. They voted for PSD, but most of all they voted for USR, because in a week’s time there will be a final battle in the presidential election, with Elena Lasconi facing Călin Georgescu, a Putin sympathizer, who says he will not help Ukraine. In a way, Romanians in the Republic of Moldova also anticipated the second round of the presidential election in Romania”, Nicolae Negru pointed out.

Another political commentator, Ion Tăbârță, argues that Romanian citizens in Moldova did not support Eurosceptic, anti-establishment candidates and parties, because they want to preserve Romania’s strategic role in supporting the European path of the Republic of Moldova, avoid the destabilization of the EU and continue Romania’s aid to Ukraine.

Should pro-European forces stay in power in Romania, relations between Bucharest and Chișinău will continue on a positive path, says Ion Tăbârță. The Moldovan expert warns, however, that the European path of the Republic of Moldova also depends on the future government in Bucharest.

“If a pro-European government is reached, […] I would be inclined to say that relations between the Republic of Moldova and Romania will be a good, while key projects for the Republic of Moldova will continue with a view to integrating the Republic of Moldova into the European community. If a nationalist, extremist and populist government is sworn in, it is difficult to say how the Bucharest government will feel towards Chișinău”, Ion Tăbârță went on to say.

In a commentary for Deutsche Welle, journalist Vitalie Ciobanu writes that, “prior to the presidential election day of November 24, Romania was seen as an “island of stability”, as a solid bastion in the way of Russian influence”. “Its NATO and European Union membership, the fraternal aid it offered to Bessarabia during this complicated period (with war brewing on its borders and limited resources to support the economy, the energy system and the public sector) represented a guarantee that the Republic of Moldova would not be left behind, that jointly with the EU institutions, Romania would provide us with a safety net. Now, things have been reversed. Moldova has resisted the Russian assault (more precisely: we have obtained some respite until the parliamentary election) while Romania is faltering. Moldovans with Romanian citizenship are watching the current developments across the Prut with great concern”, Vitalie Ciobanu writes.

Maia Sandu urged Moldovans to vote for a European Romania

The vote cast by Romanian citizens in the Republic of Moldova was apparently also influenced by the appeal made by President Maia Sandu, who urged them to vote for pro-European parties.

“I will also vote, because I want a Romania that lives in peace, with a strong voice in the world and with a high standard of living for all its citizens. My grandparents, who were born in Romania, would certainly have exercised this right. The Romanian people have the power and wisdom to defend their place in the world, and their fate and this power depends entirely on their vote. The Romanian people are free! I urge you to vote for a strong, European Romania, for a free country”, Maia Sandu said in a video posted on Facebook.

Similar messages were also conveyed by the Moldovan Parliament Speaker, Igor Grosu, and Prime Minister Dorin Recean.

Therefore, in the second round of the presidential election, the overwhelming majority of Romanian citizens in Bessarabia is expected to vote for Elena Lasconi, to the detriment of Călin Georgescu, who in the Republic of Moldova is associated with the Russian occupation, with Putin and with the horrors of the war in Ukraine.