CHISINAU: Moldovan President Maia Sandu has announced her intention to run for a second term and has asked the Parliament to organise next fall a referendum on the country’s possible accession to the European Union (EU), the government said on Sunday, reported Sputnik.
“Following three years of mandate, the head of state is announcing that she will run for a new mandate and is asking the Parliament to organise a referendum so that citizens can express their opinion on Moldova’s accession to the European Union,“ the government said in a statement.
Sandu, who was elected Moldovan president in November 2020 and took office in late December 2020, confirmed the announcement.
“We still have important steps to take, and I am ready to continue if you give me confidence in a new mandate in 2024,“ she was quoted as saying by the Moldovan presidency.
New presidential elections will be held in Moldova in 2024, while the parliamentary elections are scheduled for July 2025.
In March 2022, Moldova submitted a membership application to the EU. Sandu urged Brussels to expedite the process, citing insecurity allegedly associated with Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, which started a month before.
In June 2022, the top-level EU summit granted Moldova candidate status. On Dec 14, 2023, the EU decided to open accession negotiations with the country. - Bernama, Sputnik
