With nearly 90% of votes of the 1 December election counted,Moldova’s pro-EU parties have a four-point lead of pro-Russian parties. The Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Party and the Liberal Party are on a combined 44%.
While the parties that campaigned for membership of the Russian-led Customs Union won 40% of the votes. Pro-Russia Socialist Party emerged as the country’s largest party with 21.5%.
The pro-western are expected to have numbers to control a majority - albeit slim - in Moldova’s 101-seat parliament. Turnout was just under 56%. Three days before the polls, election authorities barred the pro-Russian Patria (Homeland) party from the race over alleged illegal financing from abroad.
Here’s a look at the geographical distribution of support for the pro-Russia parties:
Voting of course did not take place in the breakaway region of Transnistria. The area, located on a strip of land (only a few kilometres wide in some places) between River Dniester and the eastern Moldovan border with Ukraine, declared its independence in 1990.
The territory’s independence has not been recognised by the international community - including by Russia, which according to most de facto controls the breakaway republic. Transnistria is the only place in Europe to still have a hammer and sickle on its flag.
