expat

Sven Wiese, a German expat who has set up a small IT services business in the country called Trabia, says he is now finding himself priced out when it comes to employee pay.

But with more than 96% of the vote counted, the Central Election Commission said Sandu had moved ahead with 52.9% of the vote, and with results still coming in from the expat vote she was expected to cement her lead.

Stoianoglu won the vote in Moldova itself with more than 51%, according to the preliminary results, but Sandu was far ahead in the capital Chisinau, and was completely dominant among expat voters.

It has a population of 2.5 million and an expat population of 1.2 million.

It also has a large expat population of 1.2 million, whose votes could prove key to Maia Sandu in the run-off.