
October 03, 2025
Moldova Chooses Its Future with William Hill and Laura Thornton
On September 28th, Moldovan voters went to the polls in parliamentary elections to choose between competing visions for their country's future. Despite intense efforts by the Kremlin to influence the information space, wage cyber attacks on election infrastructure, and even make bomb threats at diaspora polling places in Europe, the pro-EU party of action and solidarity clinched just over 50 % of the vote, defeating the pro-Russia patriotic electoral bloc's 24%. The pro-EU party will command a parliamentary majority without needing to form a coalition government. This, coupled with pro-EU President Maya Sandu's victory in last year's presidential election, maintains Moldova's path towards the EU. But persistent challenges remain. Economic growth remains sluggish, poverty remains high, and the pro-Russian enclave of Transnistria remains a challenge from Moldova's EU accession hopes.
To help us understand and decode the election results and what they mean for Moldova and the future of Russian influence in its periphery, we are very happy to welcome Bill Hill and Laura Thornton to the podcast.
William Hill is a retired Foreign Service Officer, was previously a fellow at the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute, and is the former two-time head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova.
Laura Thornton is the senior director for global democracy programs at the McCain Institute.
More from CNAS
-
Europe Must Counter Cheap Drones with Cheap Solutions, Ex-NATO Commander Says
NATO must find cheaper ways to counter the growing threat of Russian drone incursions, the former Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, Gen. Philip Breedlove, has said. Speakin...
By General Philip M. Breedlove
-
Expert Explains: Defense Sec. Hegseth Calls Military Meeting in Northern Virginia
Hundreds of U.S. military leaders are headed to northern Virginia on orders from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Europe and...
By Jim Townsend
-
Defense / Transatlantic Security
NATO’s Counter-Drone ConundrumOver the last two weeks, Russia has repeatedly violated NATO airspace. Seventeen Russian military drones entered Polish airspace on September 10th, followed by another drone i...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend & Stacie Pettyjohn
-
Why President Trump Should Put Off the New Nuclear Arms Race for One More Year
Without a new agreement, the world’s two largest nuclear weapons states would coexist without any caps on their arsenals for the first time in two generations....
By Jon B. Wolfsthal