Crisis Chronology

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MOLDOVA

02/28/2024

Transnistria asks Russia for protection, raising fears that Russia will invade Moldova.

06/19/2023

Constitutional Court bans pro-Russia Shor Party, which has led protests for months and has been accused of trying to destabilize the government. Its leader, Ilan Shor, lives in Israel and has been sentenced in absentia to fifteen years in prison for a $1 billion bank scandal and money laundering. He has also been sanctioned by the US and Europe.

03/12/2023

Police say they foiled a plot by groups of Russia-backed actors who were trained and paid to cause mass unrest during a protest against the government. There have been a series of such protests, organized by a group called Movement for the People, organized by oligarch Ilan Shor and supported by the Shor Party. Russia has reduced gas supplies to the country since the war in Ukraine began, and inflation has reached 30%.

02/16/2023

Parliament approves Dorin Recean, a pro-Western economist and former advisor to Sandu, to be prime minister.

02/13/2023

President Sandu says Moldova has confirmed Ukraine President Zelenskyyy’s statement that Russia attempted to foment an anti-government coup in Moldova.

02/10/2023

Government Resigns

Government resigns after intense pressure from Russia, such as barring importation of Moldovan wine, a major source of revenue. President Sandu names a new pro-EU prime minister and national security advisor, Dorin Recean.

11/23/2022

Moldova loses power due to Russian shelling of Ukrainian infrastructure.

10/26/2022

Russia reported to be undermining pro-Western government in Moldova by giving huge sums of money to politicians who will support Russia, fomenting protests, and controlling some media outlets. US Treasury Department sanctions multiple individuals associated with the effort.

06/23/2022

EU grants Ukraine and Moldova official candidate status for admission.

05/04/2022

EU pledges military defense assistance to Moldova.

04/25/2022

Attacks in Transnistria region of Moldova, where thousands of Russian soldiers are based. Some suspect these are Russian false flag attacks meant to spread the war to Moldova. President Maia Sandu calls an emergency meeting of the Moldovan Security Council and says that the attacks are perpetrated by factions within Transnistria intending to increase tensions and destabilize the region.

10/27/2021

Government declares state of emergency amid rising gas prices after Russia cuts it natural gas supply after discussions about renewing the contract.

08/06/2021

Parliament elects Natalia Gavrilita prime minister. She was previously nominated by Sandu, but was rejected by the PSRM (Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova, led by Igor Dodon). She was proposed again after the PAS victory in recent elections.

07/14/2021

PAS wins elections

PAS wins 52.8% of the vote and a parliamentary majority.

07/11/2021

Parliamentary elections. Sandu’s Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) leads with more than 44% of the vote.

12/23/2020

Prime minister resigns

Prime Minister Ion Chicu resigns one day before Sandu takes office. Sandu can call for new elections after the prime minister resigns and two attempts to appoint a new one fail. Chicu’s party controlled 51 seats in in the 101-seat parliament.

12/06/2020

Large demonstrations calling for snap legislative elections after Sandu’s election.

11/15/2020

Mari Sandu of the Party of Action and Solidarity wins presidency with 56% of the vote. She is pro-EU and has vowed to fight corruption.

11/01/2020

Pro-European opposition leader Maia Sandu leads presidential election with 36% of the vote to Igor Dodon’s 32%. A run-off will be held 11/15.

09/25/2019

Romanian president Iohannis is critical of Moldovan proposal to federalize Transnistria, which would give its Russian citizens a stronger voice in the government. Moldovan President Dodon says the idea is only one of several avenues being explored to solve the Transnistria problem.

09/23/2019

Dodon says that all members of the governing coalition have agreed to abandon the former hostile attitude toward Russian journalists and investors, a position taken by the former government of the Democratic Party.

09/20/2019

IMF approves $46 million loan tranche to Moldova.

06/14/2019

Plahotniuc resigns

Plahotniuc resigns, but calls for new elections. Until a new cabinet is formed, Filip’s cabinet will govern. The new coalition has three months to form a cabinet.

06/11/2019

Legislature attempts to vote on reversing a new election law that favored the government. Government shuts off electricity to parliament building. Dodon cancels Filip’s decree of 9/6 elections.

06/10/2019

New coalition appoints Maia Sandu, former World Bank economist, as prime minister to form a parallel government. Although Sandu cites the dangers of the competing governments, she says there is not other way to end an unlawful regime of Dodon. However, there is concern that the larger, pro-Russia, Socialist Party will sideline Sandu, who is pro-European, once the situation has settled. Pavel Fillip, the court-appointed ally of Plahotniuc, has called elections for 9/6. The new coalition also wants new elections. The EU and Russia have issued statements of support for the new coalition government.

06/09/2019

Former PM Pavel Filip, temporarily taking charge of the government as a result of the 6/7/19 court ruling, calls for a new election before the Socialist Party/ACUM coalition can form a government.

06/08/2019

Russian-leaning Socialist Party of Pres Dodon announce a coalition with the pro-European ACUM group, attempting to prevent the Democratic Party of Moldova, backed by Vldamir Plahotniuc, from taking power.

06/07/2019

Constitutional Court rules that new elections should be held.

02/26/2019

Socialist Party wins 35 seats in the 101-seat legislature, the PDM (Democratic Party of Moldova) 30, and ACUM 26. ACUM is a coalition of two pro-European parties, the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) and the Dignity and Truth Platform (PPDA).

02/24/2019

Socialist Party takes lead in early returns with 31%. ACUM has 26% and the Democratic Party 24%.

02/24/2019

Parliamentary elections in Moldova. The contest, mainly between the PDM and the MSRM, seems close. Dodon has pledged to renegotiate agreement with the EU.

02/22/2019

Russia says it is investigating Vlad Plahotniuk, the leader of the ruling center-left Democratic Party (PDM) for illegal removing money from Russia.

02/22/2019

Reports of attempts to assassinate President Igor Dodon of the pro-Russia right-wing populist Socialist party (MSRM).

02/21/2019

Maia Sandu and Andrei Nastase, leaders of the pro-EU opposition alliance, ACUM (Now), say they have been poisoned.

01/02/2018

President Dodon suspended again

1/2/18. Constitutional court suspends Pres Igor Dodon for failing to appoint ministers approved by the prime minister. The new cabinet will be seated. It is the third time Dodon has been suspended.

12/28/2017

Dodon refuses to accept new cabinet ministers.

12/19/2017

Leader of the Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM) and the most powerful politician in the country, Vlad Plahotunic, announces a major reshuffling of the cabinet. PM Pavel Filip, Plahotunic’s protégé, remains in office.

10/19/2017

Dodon calls for a stronger presidency.

10/17/2017

President again suspeded

Dodon suspended by parliament for refusing to appoint a defense minister for nine months. The speaker of parliament swears in the appointee, Eugen Sturza. Dodon is likely to be reinstated.

10/17/2017

President suspended

Constitutional Court rules that the president can be temporarily suspended if he or she fails to fulfill constitutional duties, using procedure usually reserved for physical incapacity. President Igor Dodon, pro-Russia, has refused to approve the appointment of a defense minister. The appointment was delayed by the reorganization of the government that ended in August, and perhaps because of the defection of the Liberal Party in June. The Democratic Party subsequently nominated Eugen Sturza, an economist, but Pres Dodon refused to appoint him, saying he lacked proper experience. Others believed he was too Europe-oriented for the pro-Russian Dodon.

08/23/2017

Moldova asks UN to discuss withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping forces from Transnistria.

06/06/2017

EU criticizes proposed changes to voting for parliament and expansion of president’s powers.

05/27/2017

Liberal Party leaves governing coalition after two members are arrested for corruption.

11/13/2016

Dodon elected president

Dodon wins run-off election for president between himself and Sandu and says he will call for new parliamentary elections.

10/30/2016

Dodon leading with about 50% of the vote, with 65% counted.

10/20/2016

Voting for president. Leading candidates are Igor Dodon of the Socialist Party, who is pro-Russia, and Maia Sandu of the Party for Action and Solidarity, who is pro-EU. Marian Lupu of the majority Democratic Party dropped out of the race and pledged to support the pro-European candidate. If no candidate receives a majority, there will be a run-off on 11/13. It is the first direct election for president since 1996.

04/01/2016

A general vote for president is scheduled for 10/30, first direct election since 2000.

03/27/2016

Large protest demanding that Moldova be reunited with Romania in order to reduce corruption and move toward joining the EU.

03/04/2016

Constitutional Court orders that president be selected by direct election, voiding a constitutional amendment passed in 2000.

01/26/2016

Romania offers Moldova, which faces an economic collapse, a $60 million loan if it makes economic reforms.

01/20/2016

Protestors storm parliament after the legislature approves a new government to be led by pro-European coalition member Pavel Filip, a technocrat acceptable to both pro-Russian and pro-European legislators. Two previous candidates were rejected and President Nicolae Timofti refused to nominate Vladimir Plahotniuc, a wealthy businessman. Filip is considered a friend of Plahotniuc, which caused some opposition in parliament.

11/27/2015

Government, led by PM Iurie Leanca, secretly decides to bail out three banks involved in fraud with $870 million.

11/27/2015

Election Commission bans the pro-Russian party Homeland because of foreign financial support.

10/29/2015

Parliament passes no-confidence vote in government. A former prime minister, Vlad Filat, has been detained in connection with the investigation of the money taken from the banks.

07/30/2015

Valeriu Strelet is elected prime minister.

06/12/2015

Gaburici resigns in the midst of the bank scandal and the discovery that he falsified his diplomas.

04/23/2015

Bank fraud revelation

It is discovered that about one billion dollars has disappeared from the three largest banks. Large protests ensue.

02/18/2015

Parliament appoints a new government with Chiril Gaburici as prime minister, supported by Liberal Democrats, the Democratic Party, and the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova.

11/30/2014

Elections today. Although the pro-Russian Socialist Party wins the largest number of votes (at 20.7%, per preliminary returns report on 12/1), pro-European parties seem to have won enough seats to form a government. The Democratic Party won 20% in preliminary returns, and the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova 17.8%. Two pro-western parties, the Liberal Democratic Party (led by Prime Minister Iurie Leanca) and the Liberal Party, won 16% about 10% respectively. A banking scandal involving nearly an eighth of Moldova's economic output, orchestrated by oligarchs and probably aided by government officials, increased support for the Socialists.