21/11/2025 Standing Committee | Election observation
Meeting today in Chisinau, the PACE Standing Committee addressed key issues related to Moldova’s electoral and political environment during a debate on the Assembly’s observation of the 28 September 2025 parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova.
The head of PACE’s observer delegation Chris Said (Malta, EPP/CD) said: "Our report shows that these elections were genuinely competitive, that voters had a real choice and that election day itself was calm, orderly and transparent. But it also shows something else: Moldova has just gone through one of the most heavily targeted elections in Europe, with Russia deploying a full spectrum of hybrid tools – and failing to get the result it wanted.”
The report found that while preparations were professional and election day was well-run, the elections "took place in a highly polarised environment and were affected by a set of systemic and recurrent problems that undermined campaign quality and public confidence." These issues included late legislative changes, restrictive registration rules, misuse of administrative resources, illicit financing, weak online campaigning rules, and coordinated disinformation and foreign interference.
Despite these challenges, the report also recognised progress, noting that “Important positive steps nonetheless deserve recognition […] These advances helped contain attempts at manipulation and supported voter confidence, even if late timing and uneven enforcement limited their full effect in 2025.”
On the political implications, the report stressed that “The outcome confirms a durable public preference for Moldova’s European course, yet it is not a blank cheque.” It highlighted the result as "more than a domestic victory. It constitutes a geopolitical milestone for Eastern Europe," demonstrating that Moldova "can build democratic resilience strong enough to protect the ballot, preserve political stability, and sustain a European trajectory."
Concluding, Mr Said emphasised that the “Moldovan nation has achieved something extraordinary. Under conditions that would have broken many democracies, it has preserved political stability and confirmed a European path".