Moldovan President Maia Sandu denounced what she called an “unprecedented assault” on the country’s democracy in the wake of the contentious EU membership referendum held on Sunday. In a statement on X, Sandu accused criminal groups, allegedly backed by foreign actors hostile to Moldova’s national interests, of attempting to undermine the country’s democratic process.

“These groups attacked our country with tens of millions of euros, lies, and propaganda, using the most disgraceful means to keep our nation trapped in uncertainty and instability,” Sandu said. She claimed these groups sought to fraudulently purchase 300,000 votes in an effort to undermine the referendum — a campaign she described as “an unprecedented scale of fraud.”

As of Monday evening, the Central Electoral Commission reported that the proposal for amending the constitution to enshrine Moldova’s aspiration for EU membership won narrowly with 50.38 percent. Moldova applied for EU membership in 2022, and by June 2024, the European Commission announced that Moldova had met the necessary criteria to begin formal accession negotiations.

The first round of the presidential election was also held on Sunday, with Sandu securing 42.45 percent of the vote, making her the leading candidate. President Sandu and her pro-European government had campaigned strongly for Moldova’s EU membership. Following the initial results, Sandu stated, “We fought in an unfair fight — and we won.” President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen also stated on X, “In the face of Russia’s hybrid tactics, Moldova shows that it is independent, it is strong and it wants a European future!”

In June, Canada, the UK and the US accused Russia of attempting to interfere with the electoral outcome of the presidential elections, pledging support to Moldova in its resistance to Russian interference. The US has since imposed sanctions against Russian news outlet RT for covert influence operations and election interference targeting countries around the worlds.