The second round of Moldova’s presidential election saw a close contest between incumbent pro-Western President Maia Sandu and Socialist Party candidate Alexandr Stoianoglo, who promotes stronger ties with Russia. With over 90% of votes counted, Stoianoglo leads with 50.81%, while Sandu follows closely at 49.19%, according to Moldova’s Central Election Commission.

With a voter turnout of 54%, higher than recent elections, the results are likely to be influenced by over 300,000 votes cast by Moldovans abroad, which may play a decisive role in the final outcome.