Republic of Moldova

Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said on Monday he would not seek a new term, paving the way for a new head of government following the pro-Western governing party's victory in a parliamentary election.

The success of Maia Sandu’s pro-EU party in Moldova’s parliamentary election holds three valuable lessons for protecting votes from Russian meddling in the future—whether that is in Moldova or in other vulnerable democracies.

The pro-Europeans achieve a landslide victory in the parliamentary election in Moldova, following an election dominated by geopolitics and Russian interference, whose efforts ultimately proved futile. However, the results also show that the Republic of Moldova continues to remain deeply divided.

On Sunday, Moldovans went to the polls to elect their new parliament. While voters’ primary concerns were the struggling economy and poor governance, their choice also carried a clear geopolitical message: it reaffirmed the country’s European aspirations despite Moscow’s extensive interference efforts. The challenge now will be to safeguard Moldova’s fragile democracy against mounting hybrid threats, without sliding into a national security state.

Plahotniuc is the lead suspect in a long-running investigation into the disappearance of some $1 billion from banks in the small, impoverished former Soviet republic in 2014. The sum was estimated to amount to around 12 percent of th25e country's total gross domestic product. 

Moldova’s pro-European ruling party is polling neck-and-neck with a pro-Russian bloc going into next weekend’s parliamentary election, cast once more as an existential fight for the soul of the nation. 

Leaders from France, Germany and Poland have travelled to Moldova to show support for the country's accession to the EU and warn of Russia's "relentless" efforts to undermine that ambition.

Three more people have been arrested in Moldova on suspicion of involvement in plotting to cause unrest in the country after allegedly being trained at Russian-run camps in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an observation mission for the 28 September parliamentary elections in Moldova, following an invitation from the national authorities. The mission is led by Jillian Stirk and consists of a core team of 15 experts based in Chişinău.

Several dozen people gathered in the center of the Moldovan city of Comrat to support the sentenced pro-Russian leader of Gagauzia, Evghenia Gutul. … The politician is accused of illegally financing the pro-Russian Sor Party between 2019 and 2022. The Sor Party was banned by the Constitutional Court in 2023 over accusations of destabilizing the country.