ASSESSMENTS

In Moldova, Political Paralysis Is Never Far Away

Jun 21, 2019 | 09:00 GMT

People gather outside the Moldovan parliament during a rally by the pro-European opposition ACUM bloc to protest against parliamentary election results from February.

People gather outside the Moldovan parliament during a rally by the pro-European opposition ACUM bloc to protest against parliamentary election results from February. Moldova has found some political stability for now, but for how long?

(VADIM DENISOV/TASS via Getty Images)

Highlights

  • The Moldovan Democratic Party's decision to cede power will prevent a political crisis in the immediate term and weaken the influence of prominent oligarch Vlad Plahotniuc over decision-making in the country.
  • However, the alignment between the pro-Russian Socialists and the pro-EU ACUM bloc against the Democrats could prove short-lived, as the two coalition parties will have increasingly divergent goals on both the domestic and foreign policy fronts.
  • Both Russia and the West will seek to influence Moldova's future direction in their favor, strengthening the potential for increased deadlock and further political instability in the contested borderland country. 
     

The frontier state's pro-Russian and pro-EU blocs have banded together to oust a common foe, but their vastly differing foreign orientations will make them awkward partners....

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