Polis Teatime

Snap Elections in Moldova – What lies ahead?

12 July 2021 | 18:00 – 19:00

@ Zoom

with Denis Cenusa

We are glad to invite you to our next Polis Teatime “Snap Elections in Moldova – What lies ahead?”, joined by our expert Denis Cenusa.

After last November’s landslide victory of presidential candidate Maia Sandu, politics in Moldova have been stuck in a deadlock. The informal majority in parliament, ranging from Socialists to former Democrats and the Shor Party, has been blocking president Sandu’s reform agenda, while Sandu obstructed the formation of a new government, aiming to call for snap parliamentary elections. Eventually, the Constitutional Court greenlighted preliminary elections, which will take place on July 11. Current polls indicate Sandu’s party Action and Solidarity (PAS) as the leading force. But will her party gain sufficient mandates to form a government without the Socialists or the Democrats and its successors?

The elections could potentially end a state of continuous political turmoil that has shaken the Republic of Moldova at least since 2019. Sandu’s PAS wants to initiate wide-ranging anti-corruption legislation and reform the judiciary, deepen ties with the European Union and overall strengthen governance. PAS’ main competitors are rather critical of these plans. Especially the united electoral bloc of Socialists and Communists is preferring to reapproach with Russia. At the same time, Covid-19 has severely hit the country’s population and economy, worsening already existing vulnerabilities.

Against this background, we want to discuss the election outcome and its impact on Moldova in the years to come. Have the elections been conducted free and fair, or will its legitimacy be contested? Which parties are likely to form the government and what does this mean for Moldova’s reform path? What consequences do the elections yield for Moldova’s geopolitical trajectory?

As a grassroots thinktank Polis180 wants to enable the young generation to participate in political discourse. Thus, our Polis Teatimes will focus on your questions and ideas! You can join our discussion by registering below.

About our expert:

Denis Cenusa is a political analyst and PhD candidate at the Justus Liebig University in Gießen, Germany. Among others, he is affiliated with the Moldovan thinktank Expert-Grup and a regular contributor at the Moldovan press agency IPN. He is an expert for Eastern Europe, especially domestic and geopolitical affairs of the Eastern Partnership countries.

We are looking forward to the discussion! If you have any questions, feel free to contact Julian.Brummer@polis180.org. Please register below.