Three main pro-Europe parties likely to form coalition government in Moldova

Moldova's three main pro-Europe parties appeared yesterday to be able to form a new coalition government, despite the pro-Moscow Socialist Party taking first place in Sunday's election.

With 87 per cent of the vote counted, according to the election authorities, the three parties - the Liberal Democrats, the Liberals and the Democrats - had a combined vote of 44 per cent - enough to win a majority in the 101-seat parliament.

This was in spite of the pro-Russia Socialist Party taking a surprise lead with 21.5 per cent of the vote and the communists, who wish to revise part of a trade deal with the EU, taking third place with 17.8 per cent.

The three-party coalition, led by Prime Minister Iurie Leanca's Liberal Democrats, has piloted one of Europe's smallest and poorest countries along a course of integration with mainstream Europe since 2009, culminating in the ratification of a landmark association agreement with the EU this year.

Sunday's vote took place in the shadow of a separatist war in neighbouring Ukraine triggered by it following similar pro-Europe policies that set it on a collision course with Moscow.

Pre-election surveys showed deep division over whether ex-Soviet Moldova should stick to the pro-Europe path pursued for the past five years or move back into Russia's orbit.