Moldova's pro-European ruling party won a resounding victory over its Russian-leaning rival in a key parliamentary election, results showed on Monday, a major boost for the country's bid to join the European Union and break away from Moscow's orbit.

The surprisingly strong performance on Sunday by President Maia Sandu's Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) against the Patriotic Electoral Bloc was a relief for the government and its European partners, who accused Moscow of seeking to influence the vote.

With nearly all votes counted, PAS had won 50.2 per cent, versus 24.2 per cent for the Patriotic Bloc, which had sought to steer Moldova — a small former Soviet republic wedged between Ukraine and EU member Romania — closer to Russia.

Some polls leading up to the election put PAS and Patr

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