Moldova’s 2025 elections: How unifying Moldovan and Romanian identities could shape the country’s future

The 2025 parliamentary elections in Moldova will be a decisive moment for the country’s future. A key question in the upcoming vote is whether President Maia Sandu can once again bring together citizens who embrace Moldovan and Romanian identities, as she did in the previous parliamentary elections.

Political analyst Vadym Denysenko shared this perspective during a presentation at the Media Center Ukraine.

“The central issue of the 2025 elections, and of the summer as a whole, is the extent to which russia will be able to divide voters and how effectively Maia Sandu can unite people with these [Moldovan and Romanian – ed.] identities. The outcome will essentially determine Moldova’s future,” Denysenko said.

He emphasized that if Sandu secures a victory— even by just a few tens of thousands of votes, as in the presidential election— the integration of Moldovans with both identities could become irreversible.

However, he warned that failing to consolidate these groups would lead to ongoing instability.

“If this effort falls short, the turbulence will persist. Unfortunately, that would mean Ukraine will have a difficult partner on its border— one that will be increasingly challenging to work with, especially given how russia is shaking up the situation in the region,” Denysenko explained.

He also pointed out that in the last parliamentary elections, Sandu successfully united voters sharing Moldovan and Romanian identities for the first time in modern Moldova’s history. This outcome came as a major surprise, particularly to russia, whose strategy in Moldova has long relied on exploiting identity divisions.

Read more: https://mediacenter.org.ua/news