The United States wasn’t the only country to have a dramatic November presidential election. In Moldova, Maia Sandu, a Harvard-educated, pro-reform candidate who favors closer ties with the European Union, triumphed on Nov. 15. The small Eastern European country of 3.5 million sometimes described as a “state captured by oligarchic interests” has struggled to establish a strong and independent democracy. Sandu ran for president in 2016 on an anti-corruption platform but lost to pro-Russian politician Igor Dodon, who promised to dismantle oligarchic power structures but eventually turned his attention to capturing them for himself once in office. Sandu’s November victory may represent a turning point in Moldovan politics, with 58 percent of voters choosing to reject oligarchic politics and embrace reform, democracy, and ties with the West.
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A man wearing a face mask and gloves walks to cast his ballot at a polling station during Moldova's presidential election in Chisinau on Nov. 1, 2020, amid the ongoing coronavirus disease pandemic.
