People in Moldova have backed the Eastern European country's proposed changes to its constitution and commitment to joining the EU by the thinnest of margins in a referendum. Official data put Yes on 50.46% and No on 49.54% on Monday afternoon, with more than 99.6% of votes counted.

In an address to the southeast European nation on the day of the referendum, Ms Sandu said there was “clear evidence” that criminal groups working with foreign forces hostile to Moldova’s interests sought to buy off 300,000 votes, something she called “fraud of unprecedented scale”.

Moldovans in favor of securing the country’s path towards European Union membership have a razor-thin lead in a referendum vote, electoral data shows