(ANSA-AFP) - CHISINAU, 24 DIC - Moldovan President Maia Sandu
was sworn in for a second term Tuesday, praising voters'
pro-Europe choice "despite the pressures" after Russia was
accused of interfering in last month's election in the former
Soviet republic that borders Ukraine. "We can be proud that,
despite the challenges, we have managed to be on the right side
of history," she said while taking the oath before parliament
and the Constitutional Court. "We have defended democracy in the
face of external threats," she added. "Moldova voted, despite
all the pressures, for a clear direction -- a developed,
European country bringing greater security and prosperity," the
52-year-old leader said. The former World Bank economist took
55.33 percent of the vote in the run-off in early November,
defeating Alexandr Stoianoglo, who was supported by pro-Russian
socialists. Sandu, the country's first woman head of state, owed
her re-election in large part due to a strong turnout from
Moldova's large diaspora. But rural areas of the country --
sandwiched between NATO member Romania and war-torn Ukraine --
and separatist Transnistria, where Russian troops are stationed,
remain pro-Moscow, as does the autonomous Gagauzia region. -
Facing 'harsh winter' - Authorities reported numerous "attempts
at destabilising" the election, including disinformation, vote
buying, death threats, cyberattacks, and the bussing of voters.
In return, the Kremlin accused Moldova of suppressing "the
opposition and independent media, especially Russian-language
outlets". Sandu has firmly steered her 2.6 million-strong
nation, one of Europe's poorest, toward Brussels over the last
four years, with the European Union officially opening accession
talks in June. "Four years ago, we promised you better times. It
was a sincere promise," she said. "But the times turned out to
be difficult," referring to the impact of the war in Ukraine.
"After the pandemic came inflation, the energy crisis, gas
blackmail, and now blackouts," she added, referring to the
"harsh winter" in store from power outages, which have forced
the country to declare a state of emergency. Moldova relies on
the Cuciurgan power plant in breakaway Transnistria for 70
percent of its electricity, which is fuelled by Russian gas
arriving via Ukraine. However, Kyiv has announced its intention
not to renew the transit contract which allows Russian gas to be
transported to Europe at the end of December. In response, the
Moldovan government has accused the Russian energy giant Gazprom
of refusing to use alternative routes. str-anb/oaa/fg/phz
Gazprom
/ (ANSA-AFP).
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