Moldova¡¯s pro-European ruling party won a resounding victory over its Russian-leaning rival in a key parliamentary election, results on Monday showed, in a major boost for the country¡¯s bid to join the European Union and break away from Moscow¡¯s orbit.

The surprisingly strong performance on Sunday by President Maia Sandu¡¯s Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) against the Patriotic Bloc was a relief for the government and its EU partners, who accused Moscow of seeking to influence the vote.

¡°This is not just a party¡¯s victory ¡ª it is Moldova¡¯s victory. The European path is our way forward,¡± Sandu said on X.