Moldovan opposition parties have overtaken the pro-European PAS party in parliamentary elections, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC) citing results from 100% of the vote processed. The announcement, made by the CEC early on September 29th, 2025, indicates a significant shift from earlier projections that favored PAS. The TASS news agency reported the CEC's confirmation that opposition parties are now ahead of the party led by Maya Sandu. This development follows ongoing vote counting and protests organized by the "Patriotic Bloc," whose supporters had claimed PAS had lost the elections prior to the final tallies. Separately, Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, stated on September 29th, 2025, that French intelligence services, through an intermediary, had requested Telegram censor certain Moldovan Telegram channels ahead of the elections. Durov claimed the request was made in exchange for French intelligence speaking favorably about him to a judge who had ordered his arrest in August of the previous year. He stated that Telegram refused the second request to remove channels that voiced political positions disliked by the French and Moldovan governments, citing a commitment to freedom of speech. During the previous reporting period, preliminary results had shown PAS leading, with projections suggesting it could secure a parliamentary majority. However, the "Patriotic Bloc," led by Igor Dodon, was closely trailing, and Dodon had urged "special attentiveness" during the vote count. Protests by the "Patriotic Bloc" were ongoing at the CEC, with participants asserting PAS had lost. Additional protests by the Shor party were also reported at the Moldova Foreign Ministry building. The CEC had previously confirmed that over 52% of eligible voters participated in the elections held on September 28th, 2025.
