Moldova's Constitutional Court thwarted President Igor Dodon's ambitious endeavor to broaden his presidential power. The court ruled on July 27 that a referendum expanding presidential authority at the expense of parliament's was illegal. Dodon had signed a presidential decree in March 2016 calling for a nationwide referendum, which would give him the capability to dissolve parliament and hold early elections. The decree also proposed to cut the number of deputies in the single-chamber legislature from 101 to 71. The court, however, ruled that the referendum exceeded presidential authority....
