She cites as her favourite book “A Fish in the Water” by Mario Vargas Llosa, a liberal-minded Nobel prizewinner who failed in a bid to become Peru’s president. So far Ms Sandu, despite Russia’s best efforts, has been no loser. ■

President Maia Sandu secured a victory in the first round of Moldova’s presidential election, but suffered a blow as an expected victory in a referendum on the country joining the European Union was too close to call with almost all votes counted.

The first batch of preliminary results indicated the referendum on Moldova's EU future was a "no," but a last-minute spike in votes in favour from the eastern European country's diaspora evened out the score.