"I congratulate the pro-Western forces on their victory in the parliamentary elections in Moldova," President Karol Nawrocki wrote on X.
"Poland continues to support Chișinău on its path of reform and European integration. I look forward to productive cooperation with President Maia Sandu," he added.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk also hailed the result, praising Sandu and the Moldovan people for what he called a courageous choice.
"It took real courage of the Moldovan nation and Maia Sandu personally to win this election," Tusk said in an X post.
"Not only did you save democracy and kept the European course, but you have also stopped Russia in its attempts to take control over the whole region," he added.
"A good lesson for us all," Tusk wrote.
Sandu’s pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) won 50.2 percent of the vote, compared with 24.2 percent for the pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc, Polish state news agency PAP reported, citing near-complete results.
The outcome is seen as a major boost for Moldova’s bid to join the European Union and move further out of Moscow’s sphere of influence.
The Reuters news agency reported that the strong performance by PAS was a relief for the government and its European partners, who accused Moscow of seeking to influence the vote.
Photo: EPA/DUMITRU DORU
Ahead of the election, Sandu’s government warned that Russia was attempting to sway the vote through disinformation campaigns and vote-buying.
In the days before the ballot, election officials barred two pro-Russian parties from running, citing allegations of illegal financing.
Moldova is a small former Soviet republic sandwiched between Ukraine and EU member Romania.
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Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters
Click on the audio player above to hear a report by Michał Owczarek.