--- title: "Gagauzia Elections 2026: Stoianoglo vs. Gagauz and the Shadow of the 'Georgescu Scheme'" description: "On November 15, Gagauzia will hold elections for the Bashkan and People's Assembly deputies. Alexandr Stoianoglo and Fedor Gagauz lead the race, which has been marred by a TikTok account scandal and a warning from the Moldovan CEC." date: 2026-11-14T12:13:35.835Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/gagauzia-elections-2026-stoianoglo-gagauz tags: [gagauzia, moldova, elections, bashkan, psrm, stoyanglo, gagauz] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Gagauzia Elections 2026: Stoianoglo vs. Gagauz and the Shadow of the 'Georgescu Scheme' ![Road sign welcoming visitors to Gagauzia with flags against the background of a highway and field](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/14/vybory-v-gagauzii-2026-stoyanglo-gagauz/vybory-v-gagauzii-2026-stoyanglo-gagauz-1.webp) ## Key Points - On November 15, 2026, Gagauzia is electing a Bashkan and 35 People's Assembly deputies, with around 129,000 voters participating. - According to the IMAS poll, Alexandr Stoianoglo leads with 29%, followed by Fedor Gagauz at 12% (later 17%), supported by the PSRM. - Gagauz's campaign has been overshadowed by a scandal involving a network of TikTok accounts (the 'Georgescu Scheme') and a CEC warning over Odnoklassniki ads paid for by a Russian entrepreneur. On November 15, 2026, the Gagauz Autonomous Territorial Unit within Moldova will hold elections for deputies of the People's Assembly (NSG), the local parliament, and the Bashkan, the head of the region. According to the state voter registry, just over 129,000 citizens have the right to vote. A total of 135 candidates are running for the 35 parliamentary mandates, while eight people are competing for the post of Bashkan, with the majority running as independents: only a third have been nominated by political parties. Close attention is focused specifically on the race for the Bashkan's seat, as the head of the autonomy is the highest-ranking official in the region and holds a position in the Moldovan government by default. ### Contrast with Past Campaigns The current electoral campaign contrasts sharply with the previous one, where the main roles were played by proxies of Ilan Shor, an oligarch who fled to Moscow and was sentenced in absentia in Moldova to 15 years in prison for banking fraud. This time around, there are no large-scale concerts or flashy shows with fantastic promises—such as building an international airport in Comrat, as seen during Yevhenia Hutsul's campaign. Today, former Bashkan Hutsul is serving a seven-year sentence for electoral corruption. Current candidates routinely meet with voters, distribute leaflets, and speak about building pragmatic relations with Chișinău. ### Favorites: Stoianoglo and Gagauz The first public opinion polls, conducted in late October by the sociological company IMAS, showed Alexandr Stoianoglo, former Prosecutor General and presidential candidate of Moldova, in the lead with 29% of surveyed residents of the autonomy ready to vote for him. Today, he is a member of parliament representing the opposition bloc 'Alternative'. The day after campaigning officially started, he was the first to publish his electoral platform, 'Gagauzia: Autonomy of Justice', promising to visit all three towns and 24 villages of the autonomy to consult with local residents. The message of the program is an equal dialogue with Chișinău, the rule of law, and justice for everyone—the latter point having been the slogan of his 2024 presidential campaign. Once elected Bashkan, Stoianoglo plans to attract funding from the EU, Turkey, and CIS countries alike, and to conduct an audit of the expenditures of the Gagauz Executive Committee within the first 100 days of taking office. Taking second place with 12% is Fedor Gagauz, backed by the largest opposition pro-Russian Party of Socialists (PSRM); the party leader and former Moldovan President Igor Dodon personally visited to support him and PSRM candidates for the People's Assembly. ### TikTok Scandal and the 'Georgescu Scheme' Having his own team from the PSRM became Gagauz's main trump card, but scandals have drawn negative attention to his bid. Journalists uncovered a network of several dozen TikTok accounts promoting the candidate; this tactic has been dubbed the 'Georgescu Scheme' after the Romanian politician in the 2024 presidential election whose results were annulled. Fedor Gagauz himself denied any involvement in the network of accounts, calling it a 'provocation against him'. The incident resulted in a meeting in Bucharest between Deputy Chairman of the Moldovan CEC Pavel Postica and the TikTok platform manager for government relations in Romania, Hungary, and the Balkans, where an agreement was reached on cooperation for the Gagauz elections: the platform pledged to identify fake accounts. ### CEC Warning and PSRM Reaction Exactly one week before voting day, the Moldovan CEC issued a warning to the PSRM due to the discovery of campaign advertising in support of Fedor Gagauz on the 'Odnoklassniki' social network, paid for by an entrepreneur from Krasnodar Krai. The party responded with a declaration about a 'targeted campaign to discredit the candidate' and the formation of an image of him as a 'politician associated with illegal financing'. According to an IMAS poll published on November 12, the candidate's rating had risen to 17% by that point. ### Expert View: Pragmatism Between Two Capitals 'Both of these candidates will simultaneously shake hands with the authorities in Chișinău and Moscow,' says Andrei Curăraru, an expert with the WatchDog community, explaining that there is no good option for Moldova's ruling pro-European government in Gagauzia. According to him, Alexandr Stoianoglo behaves more reservedly and speaks of cooperation 'with CIS countries', whereas Fedor Gagauz takes a more overtly pro-Russian stance. Thus, the outcome of the vote in a region with strong pro-Russian sentiments will depend on whose formula for pragmatic dialogue with Chișinău and relations with Moscow proves more appealing to voters. ## Accounts differ ### Origin of electoral accounts and advertising in support of Fedor Gagauz - **Journalists / Moldovan CEC:** A network of several dozen TikTok accounts promoting Gagauz was uncovered, as well as campaign ads on Odnoklassniki paid for by an entrepreneur from Krasnodar Krai; on this basis, a warning was issued to the PSRM. ([dw.com](https://www.dw.com/ru/gagauzia-pered-vyborom-sblizenie-s-kisinevom-ili-s-moskvoj/a-79920239)) - **Fedor Gagauz:** Claims he has no involvement in the network of accounts and describes it as a 'provocation against him'. ([dw.com](https://www.dw.com/ru/gagauzia-pered-vyborom-sblizenie-s-kisinevom-ili-s-moskvoj/a-79920239)) - **PSRM:** Declares a 'targeted campaign to discredit the candidate' and the formation of an image of him as a 'politician associated with illegal financing'. ([dw.com](https://www.dw.com/ru/gagauzia-pered-vyborom-sblizenie-s-kisinevom-ili-s-moskvoj/a-79920239)) *Where they agree:* Campaign advertising supporting the candidate was conducted on social media, and the Moldovan CEC issued a warning to the PSRM. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Гагаузия перед выбором: сближение с Кишиневом или с Москвой?](https://www.dw.com/ru/gagauzia-pered-vyborom-sblizenie-s-kisinevom-ili-s-moskvoj/a-79920239) - Primary source: election dates, number of voters and candidates, IMAS poll results, candidate platforms, TikTok scandal, CEC warning, WatchDog expert quote. - [Гуцул призвала власти Гагаузии отстоять права автономии перед Кишиневом](https://tass.ru/mezhdunarodnaya-panorama/27261837) - Contextual source regarding the previous position of ex-Bashkan Hutsul; used in the article solely to indicate her current status (serving a sentence), which is confirmed by the main record. ## FAQ ### When and what are they voting for in Gagauzia? On November 15, 2026, voters are choosing People's Assembly deputies (35 mandates) and the Bashkan, the head of the autonomy. ### How many voters and candidates are there? Just over 129,000 citizens have the right to vote; 135 candidates are running for mandates, and eight are competing for the post of Bashkan. ### Who is leading in the polls? According to IMAS data from late October, Alexandr Stoianoglo leads with 29%, while Fedor Gagauz is in second place with 12% (rising to 17% by November 12). ### What is the essence of the scandal surrounding Fedor Gagauz? Journalists discovered a network of TikTok accounts promoting him (the 'Georgescu Scheme'); Gagauz denies involvement. The CEC issued a warning to the PSRM over ads on Odnoklassniki paid for by a Krasnodar Krai entrepreneur.