Mihai Popșoi
Mihai Popșoi is an expert on Moldova. He runs the blog Moldovanpolitics.com.
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Articles by Mihai Popșoi
State of Play Ahead of Moldova’s Parliamentary Elections
On February 24, 2019, Moldova will elect a new parliament based on a mixed electoral system adopted in July 2017 by the incumbent Democratic Party, led by oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc,
Increasingly Isolated Moldovan Government Looks to Turkey for Support
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan paid an official visit to Moldova, on October 17–18, after his trip had been postponed repeatedly since 2014 (Newsmaker.md, August 21). Historically, Turkey has played
Is Moldova Moving Toward Russia Ahead of Parliamentary Elections?
The standoff between Moldova’s ruling Democratic Party and the country’s pro-European opposition escalated following the cancelation of a democratic election for Chisinau mayor, won by the opposition, earlier this summer
Moldova’s Democratic Façade Crumbles as Supreme Court Invalidates Democratic Election
On June 25, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Moldova denied opposition candidate Andrei Nastase (leader of the Dignity and Truth Platform Party) legal recourse, thus upholding the June
Mayoral Campaigns in Moldova’s Two Largest Cities: A Preview of Next Parliamentary Election
This Sunday, May 20, Moldova will hold early mayoral elections in the capital city of Chisinau, the second-largest city of Balti, and five other small localities. The mayoral seats in
High-Level Corruption Threatens Moldova’s European Aspirations
Every April 7, Moldovans take stock of the progress the country has made since the youth protests of April 2009, which popularly became known as the “Twitter Revolution.” Nine years
Moldova Hopes to Boost Military Ties With Romania Amid Tensions With Russia
On February 4, Romanian Defense Minister Mihai Fifor arrived on an official two-day visit to Moldova. In a joint press conference, Moldovan Defense Minister Eugen Sturza thanked his counterpart and
Moldova’s Cooperation With NATO—Strategic Choice or Political Tactic?
Between January 29 and February 2, a group of experts from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) visited Moldova to assist with the drafting and implementation of the country’s key
A Year in Review: Oligarchic Power Consolidation Defines Moldova’s Politics in 2017
Moldova witnessed clear signs of democratic backsliding in 2017, along with window-dressing reforms and paying lip service to its international and domestic commitments. Against this backdrop, the country did experience
New Pro-Western Moldovan Defense Minister Faces Uphill Battle
On October 24, Eugen Sturza was sworn in as Moldova’s minister of defense by Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu. This put an end to an eleven-month-long battle over the appointment between
Moldovan President Igor Dodon Suspended by the Constitutional Court
The Moldovan Constitutional Court temporarily suspended the country’s president, on October 20, following a request by the government to interpret article 98, paragraph 6 of the Constitution, covering the president’s
How Vulnerable is Moldova to a Russian Invasion Through Its Only Port?
Moldova is a landlocked country, but unbeknownst to many, it has an international port on the Danube that is accessible to seagoing vessels. The Port of Giurgiulești (some 130 kilometers
Former Transnistrian Leader Finds Refuge in Moldova Amid Growing Tension in the Region
Yevgeny Shevchuk, the former “president” of the separatist region of Transnistria, escaped prosecution by the current Transnistrian leadership on June 28, finding refuge in Moldova of all places. Despite speculation
Moldova’s Foreign Policy in Disarray
In recent weeks, Moldova has been dealing with one foreign policy scandal after another. Relations with Russia, the United Kingdom, the European Union, the Council of Europe and even the
Moldova-Ukraine Energy Deal Upsets Russia by Cutting Transnistria Out
Ukraine’s DTEK Trading, owned by Rinat Akhmetov, and Moldova’s state-owned intermediary Energocom signed a one-year contract, on April 1, for the supply of electricity to Moldovan distributors. Energocom/DTEK’s only competitor
Moldovan President Seeks Regime Change Via Referendum
After only two months in office, Moldova’s President Igor Dodon announced plans for amending the constitution. His proposed changes, presented on February 28, would give the head of state the
People Power in Romania Versus Moldova: Worlds Apart?
Romania is becoming the envy of the world when it comes to peaceful mass protests successfully holding the government accountable. A little over a year ago, 20,000 Romanians protested in
Transnistria: Change of Leadership, But Not Policy
On December 11, Moldova’s secessionist region of Transnistria held presidential elections. After a heated campaign, mutual accusations and even prison threats, the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet (Transnistria’s parliament), Vadim
Legislative Election in Gagauzia: The Autonomous Region Turns its Back on Moldova Again
On December 4, Moldova’s Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia held the second round of its legislative election. The People’s Assembly (Gagauzia’s legislature) is composed of 35 members elected for a
Moldovan-Romanian Relations Under a Dodon Presidency: Off to a Rocky Start
After giving his first major post-election interview to Zvezda, a television channel owned by the Russian Ministry of Defense (Tvzvezda.ru, November 17), a week later, Moldovan President-elect Igor Dodon offered
Russia Scores Symbolic Victory in Moldova’s Presidential Election
On November 13, Moldova held run offs for its first direct presidential election in 20 years. The change resulted from a controversial Constitutional Court decision earlier this year (see EDM,
Are Moldovan Consumers Financing Transnistrian Separatism?
The “leader” of the separatist Moldovan region of Transnistria, Evgheni Shevchuk, met with Russia Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, in Moscow, on April 14. No official press statement followed, other
Transnistria Moves Toward Russia Despite Talk of Rapprochement With Moldova
Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Galbur, who also serves as the minister of foreign affairs and European integration, paid a working visit to Moscow, on April 4–5. Just days before,
Moldova’s Chief of General Staff Dismissed After Long Feud With Defense Minister
On March 18, the Moldovan government initiated the dismissal of the commander of the National Army, Brigadier General Igor Gorgan, after a months-long feud with Defense Minister Anatol Șalaru (Deschide.md,
Controversial Ruling by Moldova’s Constitutional Court Reintroduces Direct Presidential Elections
A game changing Constitutional Court decision, announced on a Friday afternoon (March 4) before a four-day holiday weekend, took much of the Moldovan political establishment, expert community and the broader
Talk of Reunification Opens Risks and Opportunities for Protest-Ridden Moldova
At the height of recent anti-government protests in Chisinau, some Moldovans in the crowd may have hoped for Romania to intervene; but the Russian state media made it sound as
EU Draws Transnistria Closer to Avoid Looming Instability
On November 29, Transnistria—the Russian-supported separatist region of Moldova—held parliamentary and local elections. Despite predictions to the contrary, the opposition forces won a landslide victory, claiming 31 of the 43