Moldova parliamentary elections highlight tensions over shift to the West
Today, Moldova will vote in parliamentary elections which are expected to see the pro-Russian Socialists win the most seats in the 101-seat parliament.
At play, a genuine three-way contest between the Socialists, the ruling pro-western and scandal-plagued Democrats and the pro-EU, anti-establishment ACUM bloc, which refuses to govern with the other two major parties. Regardless, the Socialists are favoured to form government given the strong polling of pro-Russian minor parties, though they will likely need to rely on minor parties to form government.
A Socialist-led government will naturally orient towards Moscow’s interests in Moldova. In the breakaway region of Transnistria, the Socialists support a peace plan that suits “all parties” with interests in the mostly ethnic-Russian and Ukrainian region—a status quo that keeps Russian troops in the region indefinitely.
However, the Kremlin-friendly pivot will likely be more nuanced than under previous pro-Russian governments. 66% of Moldova’s exports are sent to the EU and most remittances– a major part of the Moldovan economy– flow from the EU. As such, expect Chisinau to honour many major agreements it has with the bloc, like the EU Association Agreement.
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