Pro-EU campaign won in Moldova despite ‘unfair fight,’ president says – POLITICO

Moldova is on course to join the EU despite Russian-backed efforts to derail its route to membership, the country’s president declared, after a bitterly contested referendum to join the bloc went down to the wire.

In a speech on Monday, Maia Sandu declared victory for the pro-EU campaign, which won with around 50.5 percent of the vote after a long night of counting ballots.

“The people of the Republic of Moldova have spoken, and the majority have endorsed the European path,” said Sandu. “We have won the first battle in a difficult fight that will determine the future of our country. We fought fairly and won justly in an unjust struggle.”