As heavy downpours alternate with hot, cloudless days, early autumn seems to be locked in a battle with late summer in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau. With Moldova's general election campaign now in its final phase, the political situation in the country is as unpredictable as the weather. Opinion polls suggest a tight race between President Maia Sandu's pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) and a number of pro-Russian parties. Ahead of the election on Sunday, the center of Chisinau is full of eager campaigners fighting for every vote. They approach passersby, talk to them and hand out fliers and election newspapers outlining the parties' policies and election pledges. One of these campaigners is 35-year-old Cristian. As people hurry past him on the crowded Stefan-cel-Mare-Boulevard, he hands out the yellow campaign newspaper of the ruling PAS. "I hope our country will decide to become part of the EU, as a democratic country that respects human rights," he told DW. "People must take responsibility for their vote because their vote decides our future and the future of generations to come." Newspapers and flyers from different Moldovan political parties are fanned out on top of each other, Moldova, September 2025