HUMAN RIGHTS AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN MOLDOVA
Igor Kotler
The 2021 parliamentary elections reaffirmed the deep divide within Moldovan politics, as both nationalist and neo-communist factions continued to dominate the political landscape. With over 40% of votes counted, the center-right Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), led by proEuropean President Maia Sandu, secured 52.8% of the vote. Meanwhile, the coalition of socialists and communists, led by former Kremlin-backed President Igor Dodon and former President Vladimir Voronin, received 27.17%. Another key player, the Șor Party, known for its extensive corruption, obtained 5.74%. In essence, at least 86% of the electorate supported either nationalist or neo-communist ideologies, highlighting the absence of a strong, centrist alternative.
Political scientist Ian Lisnevschi noted at a September 22, 2021, conference on Moldova’s political trajectory that President Sandu was consolidating more power under the guise of strengthening democracy. This pattern, he argued, was familiar in Moldova, where successive leaders have justified increasing their authority by claiming to defend democratic values—while simultaneously suppressing opposition.
On May 24, 2022, Igor Dodon was arrested on charges of corruption and treason. He dismissed the case as a political vendetta orchestrated by the pro-European PAS government. After his 72-hour detention, Dodon insisted that an impartial and politically independent court would ultimately clear him of wrongdoing. He was released in November 2022, but his supporters continued to rally against Sandu’s government, accusing her of authoritarianism.
