Moldova: The Outsize Significance of a Small Country

Moldova's political arena, like Ukraine's, is polarized between Russia and the West, with splits running through political parties and the population as a whole. For seven years, this divide has effectively paralyzed the country's political system. This began in 2009 when a coalition, the pro-West Alliance for European Integration, unseated the Russia-friendly Communist Party in elections. Since 2009, the government has collapsed or has had to call early elections numerous times because the pro-Europe parties did not reach the threshold of votes to overcome their opponents or because they were beset by scandal....