Regional Implications of Moldova's Political Deadlock

A deepening political crisis in Moldova and recent moves made by the country's lawmakers are complicating efforts to integrate further with the European Union. On May 3, for example, the Moldovan Parliament voted to give itself the power to sack judges in the country's Constitutional Court and to make changes to national electoral laws. High-level EU officials said the moves could negatively impact Moldova's EU aspirations. Such warnings play into the interests of Russia, which sees political deadlock in Moldova as undermining the Western orientation of the government in Chisinau. Moldova's pro-EU parties have indeed suffered considerably in recent months, but the country's fundamental divisions will preclude a meaningful foreign policy shift toward any bloc — whether European or Russian — in the near future.