Maia Sandu after Eurovision voting scandal: We must not let Chișinău Bucharest relations suffer
Nothing and no one should affect relations between Moldova and Romania, and ties between Chișinău and Bucharest must remain protected and supported regardless of tensions or interpretations linked to competitions or artistic results. President Maia Sandu made the statement on May 19 in Strasbourg, where she received the European Order of Merit from the European Parliament.
Asked whether the score given by the Moldovan jury to Alexandra Căpitănescu, Romania’s representative at Eurovision 2026, could affect bilateral relations, Maia Sandu recalled that people in Moldova gave Romanian artists “the highest appreciation.”
"I believe we should not allow anything or anyone to affect relations between our two countries. It is important that people in Moldova gave the highest appreciation to Romanian artists. That is what matters most. Congratulations to both Alexandra and Vlad (Satoshi, Moldova’s representative at Eurovision 2026)," Maia Sandu said.
The Moldovan national jury’s vote at Eurovision 2026 sparked a major scandal that led to the resignation of Vlad Țurcanu, director general of the “Teleradio-Moldova” Company. During a press conference on May 18, he said that although he did not influence the scores, the jury members failed to consider the sensitivities between Moldova and its neighbours, Romania and Ukraine.
Public outrage erupted after the jury in Chișinău gave Alexandra Căpitănescu only three points, while viewers in Moldova awarded her the maximum 12 points. Romania, meanwhile, gave Moldova’s representative 12 points from the public vote and 10 from the professional jury.
In a social media post, Alexandra Căpitănescu stressed that neither the artists, presenters, nor the people of Moldova should face blame for the scores awarded by the seven jury members.
"We thank all fans in Moldova for their support and votes. We are not upset with the Moldovan jury, which scored as it believed best, and it is not fair to hold an entire nation responsible for the decision of seven people," the singer said.
Moldova finished eighth in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 final. The song “Viva, Moldova!”, performed by Satoshi, received 43 points from the jury and 183 points from the public, for a total of 226 points.
Romania’s representative, Alexandra Căpitănescu, placed third at Eurovision 2026.
The contest was won by Bulgaria’s representative, Dara, with the song “Bangaranga,” which received 516 points.
