Foreign Policy Association together with Friedrich­Ebert-Stiftung offer you a newsletter on foreign policy and European integration issues of the Republic of Moldova. The newsletter is part of the “Foreign Policy Dialogue” joint Project. NEWSLETTER MONTHLY BULLETIN OCTOBER 2024 NR. 10(224) Synthesis and Foreign Policy Debates NTheewnselewttselre-tutel resistedreevaelliozpaet ddebyMMădăădlăinlinNNeceșcușțuuț,ur,eeddaitcotor-rc-ocooordrdinoantaotror TOPICS OF THE EDITION: 1. Interview with Felix Hett, FES representative for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova: “The elections have been just a test 2. Editorial by Alexandru Tanase, former Minister of Justice and Chairman of the Constitutional Court: “About the surprise of the“unexpected” result of the referendum” 3. Interview with Ian Lisnevschi, sociologist at Intellect Group: “When politicians embrace an issue meant to unite society are doing more harm” 4. Analysis by Denis Cenușa, political analyst of the Expert Group: "Two key lessons from the presidential election and the referendum: the protest vote and the active diaspora” News in Brief The Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Moldova published on October 21 the official data of the presidential elections, according to which in the first round of the presidential elections, the turnout was 51.5%. The majority, 42.45 percent of voters, opted for the incumbent president Maia Sandu. On the second place is former general prosecutor, Alexandr Stoianoglo, who is running on behalf of the Socialist Party of Moldova(PSRM), who got 25.98% of votes. Maia Sandu and Alexandr Stoianoglo will face each other in the second round of the presidential elections, which will take place on November 3. In the constitutional referendum for European integration, 50.46 percent voted in favour and 50,54 voted against. In order to validate the referendum, the presence at the polls of at least one third of the voters was needed. Therefore, the referendum was validated by the Central Electoral Commission. Moldova is stepping on a future of thin ice In the second round of the presidential elections, Maia Sandu asked citizens to vote responsibly, warning of the risks for democracy and attacks on the integrity of the electoral process. Her opponent, Alexandr Stoianoglo, reiterated his commitment to European values ​a​ nd emphasized the need for a victory for Moldova, at the same time criticizing the incumbent president. The statements were made during the electoral debates on Sunday, October 27, for the run-off, which will take place on November 3. The candidate of the Socialist Party for the position of president, Alexandr Stoianoglo, says that he has long adopted the model of European integration as a system of values and that he is ready to respect the supremacy of the law, defend the principle of justice, impartiality and serve the interests of the majority.“I have nothing to add, except one thing- it’s time for Moldova to win. We are all interested in this,” said Alexandr Stoianoglo. The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights(ODIHR) said on 22 October that the presidential election and constitutional referendum on 20 October were well administered and that contestants campaigned freely in an environment characterized by concerns about illegal foreign interference and active disinformation efforts. However, the simultaneous running of the presidential election and referendum campaigns, as well as the media coverage that favoured the incumbent and the government, did not provide a fully level playing field. Abuse of administrative resources in the campaign was observed. Recent changes have created a strong legislative framework for campaign finance, but oversight has been diminished by the limited capacity and resources of the Central Election Commission. The report also states that the legal framework for the referendum has certain deficiencies and thus is not in full compliance with international standards and OSCE commitments in several aspects. The President in office, Maia Sandu, and her opponent in the second round of the presidential elections, Alexandr Stoianoglo, during the debates organized on October 27 at the Palace of the Republic of Moldova. Source: Maia Sandu/Facebook Moldova is sliding on thin ice regarding its future. There is currently a lot of uncertainty regarding the future leadership of the country and the way in which the Republic of Moldova will continue its European path. Will it run at full throttle with a pro-European leadership willing to make the necessary reforms, even the least popular ones, or will we revert to the“gentle calf with two mothers” tactic, in a histrionic swing between East and the West and the return to the kleptocratic system domestically. It would be incorrect to place the blame entirely on fraud and theft. We should think about how to stop the propaganda and better explain to citizens every day what the EU stands for. It is necessary to come down from the ivory tower and go to the grassroots, even in the most inconvenient localities, to explain to the people what options exist at this moment for the Republic of Moldova and how Monthly newsletter, No.10(224), October 2024 111 Bucuresti St., Chisinau, MD-2012, Republic of Moldova, Tel.+373 855830 Website: moldova.fes.de. E-mail: fes.moldova@fes.de