Moldova
Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised state of Transnist ...
experienced large-scale protests amid a worsening economic situation and corruption scandals. The protests gained momentum in September, when up to 100,000 people demonstrated in the largest protest since Moldova's independence from the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
in August 1991.
The protests have been organised by a grass-roots citizens' movement, '' Dignity and Truth'' ( ro, Demnitate și Adevăr), that was established in February 2015 as a response to the disappearance of $1 billion from the Moldovan banks in 2014. Dignity and Truth is led by lawyers, journalists and other well-known figures in Moldova.
Background
In Moldova, one of
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...
's poorest countries, nearly 17% of the population live below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
. Moreover, with an average wage of about $129 per month, Moldova reportedly has the lowest standard of living in Europe.
In 2014, $1 billion vanished from three of Moldova's leading banks.The great Moldovan bank robbery
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
(18 June 2015) In two days loans worth $1 billion were transferred in to
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
-registered companies whose ultimate owners are unknown. Banks are administered by the
National Bank of Moldova
The National Bank of Moldova ( ro, Banca Naţională a Moldovei) is the central bank of the Republic of Moldova.
The National Bank of Moldova is an autonomous public legal entity and is responsible to the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova. Th ...
, so this loss was covered from state reserves. This protected depositors but created a hole in Moldovan public finances equivalent to an eighth of the country's
GDP
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is of ...
. Protesters claim this damaged their living standards.
The issue highlighted the problem of corruption in Moldova and although the government has promised an investigation, protest leaders have called for a campaign of
civil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal of a citizen to obey certain laws, demands, orders or commands of a government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a stat ...
, a
general strike
A general strike refers to a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large coa ...
and a refusal to pay utility bills in order to force the resignation of the government. Likewise, as a response to the $1 billion disappearance the grass-roots citizens' movement ''Dignity and Truth'' ( ro, Dreptate și Adevăr) was established in February 2015. This organization is led by lawyers, journalists and other well-known figures in Moldova.Unification with Romania is seen as a solution to Moldova's economic, political and social crisis, but also in the context of the tensions in neighbouring
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian invas ...
. Polls up to May 2015 showed 10 to 20 percent of Moldovans supported unification.
Name
The protests are dubbed in the international press as the Moldovan
Maidan
Maidan is an originally Persian word for a town square or public gathering place, adopted by various other languages: Urdu (''maidān''); Arabic (''maydān''); Turkish ; Bangla ময়দান, meaning field, and Crimean Tatar, from whic ...
(due to similar circumstances with Ukrainian Euromaidan) and Anti-oligarchic movement. In Moldova, media outlets cataloged the events as a Red Revolution, due to involvement of communist and socialist parties in the protests.
Protesters' profile
The protesters have formed two distinct camps: pro-European sympathizers and those who support pro-Russian parties. But while they may be separated by aspirations and ideologies, both sides have similar aims: the resignation of the government, the conviction of corrupt oligarchs and early elections.
For those in the pro-Russian camp, the corruption cases have provoked a crisis of confidence in the European project. Moldova signed an association agreement with the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...
in 2013, committing to core reforms, economic recovery, sector cooperation and justice, but anti-European sentiment is growing. An April 2015 poll found that 32% of Moldovans favoured joining the EU, a decrease of 46 percent compared to 78% in 2007.
Timeline
Farmers' protests
The National Farmers Federation of Moldova, the Republican Association ''UniAgroProtect'', the National Farmers Federation ''AGROinform'' and the Association ''Moldova-Fruct'' organized on 27 March and 15 April protest action by farmers throughout the country. According to organizers, the protests mobilized more than 5,000 farmers. They blocked national roads with agricultural machinery.
Farmers oppose a VAT increase from 8% to 20% and demand swift access to a credit line of nearly €100 million offered by
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...
with a subsidized interest rate. Farmers say that, because of the devaluation of the leu, resulting from ''de facto'' nationalization of the banks at the heart of the economic crisis, they can't service outstanding loans. They had several meetings with the Prime Minister, the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Finance, but were not satisfied with the result. The farmers' demands include replenishment of subsidy funds in 2015 to 1.2 billion lei, the release of the lending process in agriculture and the decrease of the lending interest rate.
5 April demonstration
Tens of thousands of people across the country gathered in downtown Chișinău, at the call of the ''Dignity and Truth'' Platform, in an action of protest against the collapse of the financial and banking system, but also against judicial corruption. Demonstrators chanted slogans against the government led by Chiril Gaburici and demanded the unification of Romania and Moldova. Gaburici resigned on 22 June after an investigation into alleged fraud in his educational qualifications and was replaced permanently by Valeriu Streleț on 30 July.
3 May demonstration
On 3 May, up to 50,000 people protested against the
Government of Moldova
, image = Seal of the Government of Moldova (EN).png
, image_size = 300px
, image2 = Kišiněv, budova vlády (2019-03-16; 01 cropped).jpg
, image_size2 = 250px
, caption = Government House, Chișinău
, date = 27 August 1991
, state = Mol ...
, saying it had failed to implement reforms to bring the country closer to the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...
. Protesters also called on the government to investigate the disappearance of $1 billion (nearly 1/8 of the country's GDP) from the state-owned Savings Bank and the private banks ''Unibank'', ''Banca de Economii'' and ''Banca Socială'', in November 2014 before
parliamentary elections
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ...
. The central bank commissioned risk consultancy Kroll to conduct a preliminary investigation into the activities of the three stricken banks. Their findings were confidential but on 4 May parliament speaker
Andrian Candu
Andrian Candu (born 27 November 1975) is a Moldovan politician, who served as chairman of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova between 2015 and 2019. He left political life and went back to consultancy business, where previously he has buil ...
published what he said was Kroll's report on his website. "There appears to have been a deliberate plan to gain control of each of the banks and subsequently manipulate transactions to gain access to credit, whilst giving the appearance to the contrary", the report said. The protest activities were mobilized by the newly founded citizen platform called "Dignity and Truth" – allegedly financed by Viorel and Victor Topa, two exiled businessmen – to which leading personalities in Moldovan civil society belong.
Expulsion of George Simion
A protest took place on 14 May, in
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north ...
, in front of the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova, calling for an "urgent revocation of abusive measures" taken by the Chișinău authorities against Romanian citizen George Simion. The measure was seen as an attempt to intimidate the protest announced for 16 May. Simion had come to Moldova to help organize and take part in the march. He was expelled for five years on 14 May on grounds that his activities could endanger national security.Thousands Rally In Moldova For Unification With Romania
Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a United States government funded organization that broadcasts and reports news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Caucasus, and the Middle East where it says th ...
(15 May 2015) Despite this, more than 25,000 people gathered in Grand National Assembly Square in the largest pro-Romanian manifestation in Chișinău in recent years. Most of the protesters were young people and intellectuals. They demanded the unification of Romania and Moldova and displayed placards with unionist and anti-Russian messages. Demonstrators were joined, among others, by Mayor of Chișinău
Dorin Chirtoacă
Dorin Chirtoacă (born 9 August 1978) is a Moldovan politician who served as Mayor of Chișinău from 2007 to 2018. He has been leader of Liberal Party (PL) since 2018.
Biography
His mother is Valentina, sister of Gheorghe Ghimpu and Mihai ...
. Column of protesters made several stops in front of the embassies of
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, a ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
, the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
and
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...
. Participants at the unionist march voted for the formation of the ''National Unity Bloc'' ( ro, Blocul Unității Naționale), adjoining 22 non-governmental entities, including
Youth of Moldova
Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. Y ...
,
Action 2012
Action 2012 ( ro, Acțiunea 2012), officially Unionist Platform Action 2012 ( ro, Platforma Unionistă Acțiunea 2012, link=no) or Civic Platform Action 2012 (), is a coalition of non-governmental organizations striving for the unification of Mo ...
, Association ''Light'' of Transnistrian Teachers, Queen Helen Foundation, Children Charity Foundation ''Sidereal Moment'', Association of Former Deportees in USSR, Association ''Tiras-Bender'', etc. The march ended with the signing of a Pact of Union, Pact for Europe.
A bus with 50 members of the Moldovan Youth organization and others who wanted to attend the rally were blocked and legitimated by police in
Cahul
Cahul (; also known by other alternative names) is a city and municipality in southern Moldova. The city is the administrative center of Cahul District; it also administers one village, Cotihana. As of 2014 census, the city has had a population ...
. Meanwhile, about 40 high school students from
Florești Florești may refer to several places:
Moldova
* Florești, Moldova, a city in Moldova
*Florești District, in Moldova
*Florești, a village in Cobusca Veche Commune, Anenii Noi District
*Florești, a village in Buciumeni Commune, Ungheni Distr ...
were warned by telephone, through parents, by the police that if they participate in demonstrations on 16 May, they would suffer as during the protests of 7 April 2009.
Romanian Prime Minister
Victor Ponta
Victor Viorel Ponta (; born 20 September 1972) is a Romanian jurist and politician, who served as Prime Minister of Romania between his appointment by President Traian Băsescu in May 2012 and his resignation in November 2015. A former member ...
conducted a visit to Chișinău on the occasion of Moldovan Independence Day, being greeted by about 200 young men with masks featuring George Simion. "We want to see justice done in the case of George Simion, we want functional justice and we believe that true sovereignty, independence and freedom can only be achieved through union", stated Anatol Ursu, one of the organizers of the
flash mob
A flash mob (or flashmob) is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform for a brief time, then quickly disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, and artistic expression. Flash mobs may be organized via t ...
.
After pressure from civil society and Romanian Foreign Minister
Bogdan Aurescu
Bogdan Lucian Aurescu (born 9 September 1973) is a Romanian diplomat serving as the minister of foreign affairs in the Ciucă Cabinet since 25 November 2021.
He was Presidential Advisor for Foreign Policy to the President of Romania from May 2 ...
, Chișinău Court of Appeal decided, on 18 September, to lift the ban imposed on George Simion.
On 22 September, Romanian and Moldovan governments met in joint session, in Neptun. At the same time, over 300 people gathered outside the building where the meeting was held, demanding unification of Moldova with Romania. Before the meeting began, protesters tried to force the cordon of gendarmes to get closer to the building, and some of them jostled with law enforcers. The heads of the two governments agreed to talk to the unionists.
March of Stephen the Great
On 5 July 2015, up to 30,000 people, according to organizers, gathered in Grand National Assembly Square, Chișinău, facing Government House and the
Monument to the Victims of the Soviet Occupation
The Monument to the Victims of the Soviet Occupation ( ro, Monument în memoria victimelor ocupației sovietice) is a proposed monument in Chișinău, Moldova.
A commemorative stone was unveiled on 28 June 2010, as a monument to the victims of th ...
, to demand the unification of Romania and Moldova. Participants chanted unionist slogans and voted symbolically for a union. Organized by Action 2012 and Youth of Moldova, the manifestation was claimed to be one of the largest in the recent history of Moldova and the fourth great national gathering after those of 27 August 1989 (calling for a restoration of the
Latin script
The Latin script, also known as Roman script, is an alphabetic writing system based on the letters of the classical Latin alphabet, derived from a form of the Greek alphabet which was in use in the ancient Greece, Greek city of Cumae, in southe ...
), 16 December 1990 (in support of changing the name of the state to
Republic of Moldova
A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th ...
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
). Among participants were present Members of the Romanian Parliament and Moldovans from the Diaspora.
Thousands of young people among the participants in the Great National Gathering headed to
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north ...
in the March of Stephen the Great ( ro, Marșul lui Ștefan cel Mare) calling for the unification of Moldova with Romania. The march lasted a week, from 5 to 11 July. In the Republic of Moldova, the march followed the route
Strășeni
Strășeni (, russian: Страшены, Стрэшень, translit=Strasheny, Streshen, latter Russian name used in Moldovan Russian-language media) is a city and municipality of about 20,000 inhabitants in central Moldova, the administrative ce ...
–
Lozova
Lozova ( uk, Лозова́, ) or Lozovaya (russian: Лозова́я) is a city in Kharkiv Oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of the Lozova Raion (district). Lozova hosts the administration of Lozova ur ...
Ungheni
Ungheni () is a municipality in Moldova. With a population of 35,157, it is the seventh largest town in Moldova and the seat of Ungheni District.
There is a bridge across the Prut and a border checkpoint to Romania. There is another border ...
. Participants crossed the
Prut River
The Prut (also spelled in English as Pruth; , uk, Прут) is a long river in Eastern Europe. It is a left tributary of the Danube. In part of its course it forms Romania's border with Moldova and Ukraine.
Characteristics
The Prut originates ...
, on 11 July, at 10 a.m., in a large-scale reenactment of the Bridges of Flowers in 1990. Their march ended in
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north ...
, where were greeted by several hundred Romanian citizens in University Square, before making their way to the
Cotroceni Palace
Cotroceni Palace (Romanian: ''Palatul Cotroceni'') is the official residence of the President of Romania. It is located at ''Bulevardul Geniului, nr. 1'', in Bucharest, Romania. The palace also houses the National Cotroceni Museum.
History
The ...
to call on Romanian President
Klaus Iohannis
Klaus Werner Iohannis (; ; also spelled Johannis; born 13 June 1959) is a Romanian politician, physicist and former teacher who has been serving as the president of Romania since 2014. He became leader of the National Liberal Party (Romania), Na ...
to support the unification project. Former Moldovan President
Vladimir Voronin
Vladimir Voronin (; born 25 May 1941) is a Soviet and Moldovan politician. He was the third president of Moldova from 2001 until 2009 and has been the First Secretary of the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM) since 1994. He ...
has sharply condemned the march to Romania. In a letter to
European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adop ...
President
Martin Schulz
Martin Schulz (born 20 December 1955) is a German politician who served as Leader of the Social Democratic Party from 2017 to 2018, and was a Member of the Bundestag (MdB) from 2017 to 2021. Previously he was President of the European Parliame ...
, released on 7 July, Voronin accused Bucharest of fomenting "the destruction and annexation of Moldova".
Autumn protests
Tens of thousands of people manifested in Chișinău at the call of the Justice and Truth Platform. According to police, between 35,000 and 40,000 people attended the demonstration, while organizers estimated around 100,000 participants. The protest was the biggest since Moldova's independence movement in the early 1990s, bigger even than the mass anti-communist protests of April 2009. Participants adopted a resolution demanding early elections, the resignation of President
Nicolae Timofti
Nicolae Timofti (; born 22 December 1948 in Ciutulești, Moldavian SSR) is a Moldovan jurist and politician who was President of Moldova from 23 March 2012 until 23 December 2016. He served as head of Moldova's Supreme Magistrate Council and was ...
and all leading institutions of law, including the Prosecutor General's office and the National Anticorruption Center.
Clashes broke out with police at the prosecutor general's headquarters, where activists attempted to set up an occupy-style tent encampment. Opposition leaders have accused the prosecutor general of being an instrument of political persecution. Supporters of the radical left Red Bloc Party tried to break the police cordon and forcibly enter the prosecutor's office. Police detained seven activists, including Antifa movement leader, Grigory Petrenko. A team from a local television station in Moldova was accosted by demonstrators. Likewise, six policemen were injured and one woman was hospitalised. According to Interior Minister Oleg Balan, "their scope was to devastate the prosecutor's office". Police removed tents in front of the prosecutor's office. However, more than 90 tents were set up by protesters in Grand National Assembly Square, vowing to continue their protest until demands are met.
Three Russian journalists from the pro-
Kremlin
The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of the kremlins (Ru ...
television ''LifeNews'' were detained at
Chișinău International Airport
Chișinău International Airport is Moldova's main international airport, located southeast of the centre of Chișinău, the capital city. It serves as headquarters for Air Moldova, the country's national airline. The IATA airport code KIV is ...
. They were forbidden to enter the Republic of Moldova. The film crew intended to publicize the protests. Russian officials reacted to the arrest of three journalists. "Actions of the new leadership in Chișinău demonstrate their unwillingness to have constructive relations with Russia", stated
Maria Zakharova
Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova (russian: Мария Владимировна Захарова; born 24 December 1975) is the Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (Spokes ...
, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry. In the same context, Zakharova mentions that authorities' actions against Russian journalists "violate freedom of speech and access to information".
Prime Minister Valeriu Streleț invited protest organisers to "talks", at the Ministry of Agriculture headquarters, but they announced they will not attend the meeting. A group of representatives of the Platform previously participated in a meeting with Streleț, at the Government headquarters, where they asked him to sign the list of claims, which was presented in the square. Amid the protests against the oligarchic regime,
Vladimir Plahotniuc
Vladimir Plahotniuc (born 1 January 1966) is a Moldovan politician, businessman and oligarch. He was the chairman of the Democratic Party of Moldova (24 December 2016 – 24 June 2019) and previously was member of the Parliament of Moldova in thr ...
fled Moldova the same day for
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situ ...
.
Concomitantly with the meeting, the Unité phone company, belonging state-owned telcoMoldtelecom, announced intentions to organise a free, open air concert, immediately criticised as an attempt to undermine the protest. Under the pressure of comments on social networks, many artists, starting with
Ștefan Bănică, Jr. Ștefan is the Romanian form of Stephen, used as both a given name and a surname. For the English version, see Stefan.
Some better known people with the name Ștefan are listed below. For a comprehensive list see .
Notable persons with that nam ...
, have declined participation, which could be interpreted as a political gesture.
A week later, another major protest took place in Chișinău, attracting 20,000 people from all over Moldova. Clashes between supporters of the ''Dignity and Justice'' civic platform and a group advocating Moldova's unification with Romania broke out soon after the rally began. The city centre has been cordoned off and many law enforcers were deployed on the streets. A resolution was adopted at the end of the demonstration, in which protesters call for a
general strike
A general strike refers to a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large coa ...
and formation of a political movement and a so-called government of popular trust.
On 29 November, another protest organized by DA Platform took place in the Grand National Assembly Square. Demonstrators and supporters of the platform have expressed dissatisfaction with the political and economic situation in the country and called for early elections. To ensure security, hundreds of police formed two cordons in front of the Government. During the protest, DA Platform representatives said they will create a political party. Protests also took place in
Bălți
Bălți (; russian: Бельцы, , uk, Бєльці, , yi, בעלץ ) is a city in Moldova. It is the second largest city in terms of population, area and economic importance, after Chișinău. The city is one of the five Moldovan municipali ...
,
Orhei
Orhei (; Yiddish ''Uriv'' – אוריװ), also formerly known as Orgeev (russian: Орге́ев), is a city, municipality and the administrative centre of Orhei District in the Republic of Moldova, with a population of 21,065. Orhei is appro ...
,
Cahul
Cahul (; also known by other alternative names) is a city and municipality in southern Moldova. The city is the administrative center of Cahul District; it also administers one village, Cotihana. As of 2014 census, the city has had a population ...
Ungheni
Ungheni () is a municipality in Moldova. With a population of 35,157, it is the seventh largest town in Moldova and the seat of Ungheni District.
There is a bridge across the Prut and a border checkpoint to Romania. There is another border ...
and
Soroca
Soroca (russian: link=no, Сороки, Soroki, uk, Сороки, Soroky, pl, Soroki, yi, סאָראָקע ''Soroke'') is a city and municipality in Moldova, situated on the Dniester River about north of Chișinău. It is the administrative ...
.
Political crisis
On 13 January 2016, 56 deputies of the parliamentary coalition formed around PD proposed controversial businessman Vlad Plahotniuc for the position of prime minister. The proposal was immediately rejected by President
Nicolae Timofti
Nicolae Timofti (; born 22 December 1948 in Ciutulești, Moldavian SSR) is a Moldovan jurist and politician who was President of Moldova from 23 March 2012 until 23 December 2016. He served as head of Moldova's Supreme Magistrate Council and was ...
, invoking integrity reasons. Timofti asked coalition representatives to propose another name until 14 January at 12 a.m. In the evening of 13 January, the coalition announced that will propose again Plahotniuc, thus escalating the constitutional conflict. The same day, two rallies took place in Chișinău, one that supports Vlad Plahotniuc for the position of prime minister and another that opposes the nomination. Next day, protests continued, with tens of thousands of people demonstrating in central Chișinău against Plahotniuc. By night, Timofti nominated the Secretary General of the Presidency, Ion Păduraru, candidate for this position, defying PD's proposal. However, Ion Păduraru announced his withdrawal from the race in less than 24 hours after the announcement of his nomination. He justified his gesture by the fact that the parliamentary majority has already nominated another proposal of premier, and President Timofti will consider it as a compromise solution. On 16 January, the parliamentary coalition grouped around the Democratic Party of Vlad Plahotniuc announced that disagrees with the proposal of President Timofti and came up with a new proposal for premier, instead of Plahotniuc –
Pavel Filip
Pavel Filip (born 10 April 1966, Pănășești, Strășeni) is an engineer and politician from the Republic of Moldova. In 2001–2008 he was the director of the Joint-stock company "Bucuria" and in 2008–2011, general manager of Tutun-CTC join ...
. Later that day, up to 20,000 people joined three different rallies that were organized by both the left
Socialist Party of Moldova
The Socialist Party of Moldova ( ro, Partidul Socialist din Moldova) is a socialist political party in Moldova. It came second in the 1994 parliamentary election in alliance with the Unity Movement for Equality in Rights, the successor of the ...
and the centre-right Civic Platform DA. The protesters called on the Moldovan president and chief prosecutor to resign, demanding early elections and prompt measures against corruption. They also opposed the nomination of Pavel Filip to the post of Prime Minister.
On 20 January, a majority of 57 MPs voted in favor of PD-backed Pavel Filip Government. During the parliamentary meeting, the Parliament building was surrounded by about 1,000 protesters that demanded the interruption of the vote. They broke a side door of the Parliament and entered the building, forcing the cordon of gendarmes. Many gendarmes offered no resistance, being dragged out of the device and giving up shields and batons. After several hours, police intervened in force, removing the protesters from the Parliament and cordoning the building off. 15 people, six protesters and nine gendarmes, suffered contusions after confrontations at Parliament. One of them was President of the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a l ...
,
Mihai Ghimpu
Mihai Ghimpu (born 19 November 1951) is a Moldovan politician who served as Speaker of Parliament and Acting President of Moldova from 2009 to 2010. He was member of Parliament of Moldova from 1990 to 1998 and from 2009 to 2019. Ghimpu held the ...
, who had his head broken, being hit by protesters while leaving the Parliament.
Renewed protests
Thousands of people calling for Moldova's reunification with Romania took to the streets of Chișinău on 27 March in a so-called "march of reunion". The rally organizers say some 50,000 people took part in the protests while police put the number at 5,000–6,000 people. The rally was meant to mark the 98th anniversary since
Bessarabia
Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of ...
was unified with the
Kingdom of Romania
The Kingdom of Romania ( ro, Regatul României) was a constitutional monarchy that existed in Romania from 13 March ( O.S.) / 25 March 1881 with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian ...
on 27 March 1918. A bomb alert was triggered at Nicolae Sulac National Palace, during the formation of platform ''Sfatul Țării 2'', that brings together the unionist organizations in Moldova fighting for the unification with Romania. Sappers and firefighters were deployed on the spot, but found that the alarm was false. Representatives of Voievod Movement held a counter manifestation. They were surrounded by law enforcers in order to avoid the degeneration of the situation.
2017
On 11 June 2017 a new protest took place at Chișinău: around 4.000 citizens took part at a protest against adopting a law of mixed voting system, promoted by the
Democratic Party of Moldova
The European Social Democratic Party ( ro, Partidul Social Democrat European, PSDE) is a centre-left, populist social-democratic political party in Moldova. Established in 1997, the party holds pro-European views, and is an associate member of ...
, seen by the
Venice Commission
The Venice Commission, officially European Commission for Democracy through Law, is an advisory body of the Council of Europe, composed of independent experts in the field of constitutional law. It was created in 1990 after the fall of the Berl ...
and European rights experts as inappropriate for Moldova. On 17 September 2017 a new protest took place: the protesters have manifested again against the mixed voting system. In 2018, a popular movement rocked the country. Police clashed with demonstrators staging sit-ins and Rallies from June-August demanded the resignation of
Igor Dodon
Igor Dodon (; born 18 February 1975) is a Moldovan politician who previously served as the president of Moldova from 23 December 2016 to 24 December 2020. He currently serves as the leader of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova. ...
and an end to corruption.
Aftermath
Former prime minister
Vlad Filat
Vladimir Filat (born 6 May 1969), commonly referred to as Vlad Filat (), is a Moldovan businessman and politician, founder of Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova. He was the Prime Minister of Moldova from 25 September 2009 to 25 April 2013. He ...
, leader of the
Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova
The Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova ( ro, Partidul Liberal Democrat din Moldova, PLDM) is a conservative political party in Moldova. The party is led by Tudor Deliu. Until 2016, PLDM was led by Vlad Filat, who was Prime Minister of Moldova fr ...
, was detained in parliament on 15 October over the theft of $1 billion from the banking system. Masked officers entered the Moldovan parliament to handcuff and arrest Filat, while anti-government protesters had blocked the exits to the building for most of the day to prevent him leaving. Moments earlier, the lawmakers voted to strip Filat of his
parliamentary immunity
Parliamentary immunity, also known as legislative immunity, is a system in which politicians such as president, vice president, governor, lieutenant governor, member of parliament, member of legislative assembly, member of legislative council, ...
. Vlad Filat is accused of passive
corruption
Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...
and
influence peddling
Influence peddling is the practice of using one's influence in government or connections with authorities to obtain favours or preferential treatment for another, usually in return for payment. It is also called traffic of influence or trading i ...
. He would preted
bribe
Bribery is the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or other person, in charge of a public or legal duty. With regard to governmental operations, essentially, bribery is "Corru ...
€250 million from Ilan Shor to determine legislative decisions to diminish the position of the Moldovan state in the Savings Bank.
Ilan Shor
Ilan Shor (or Șor; he, אילן שור; born 6 March 1987) is a Moldovan hideaway businessman, oligarch and politician. From July 2015 to April 2019, he served as mayor of the Moldovan city of Orhei. He owns several Moldovan businesses, includi ...
, Mayor of
Orhei
Orhei (; Yiddish ''Uriv'' – אוריװ), also formerly known as Orgeev (russian: Орге́ев), is a city, municipality and the administrative centre of Orhei District in the Republic of Moldova, with a population of 21,065. Orhei is appro ...
, is also accused in the "Robbery of the century" corruption case, that is, the 2014 Moldovan bank fraud scandal.
On 16 October, the
National Bank of Moldova
The National Bank of Moldova ( ro, Banca Naţională a Moldovei) is the central bank of the Republic of Moldova.
The National Bank of Moldova is an autonomous public legal entity and is responsible to the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova. Th ...
has withdrawn the licenses of financial activity for Savings Bank, Social Bank and Unibank. Thus has begun the process of liquidation thereof.
On 29 October, three months after formation, the Streleț government was dismissed through a
motion of censure
A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or m ...
, voted in favour by 65 MPs. The government's dismissal was enacted through the votes of the Socialist, Communist, and Democratic Party deputies. The stated reason underlying the motion was "suspicion of the corruption of Prime Minister Valeriu Streleț". Soon after the vote, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted, saying that stability of government should be allowed to prevail and the pro-European mandate given in the results of the November 2014 elections should be executed.
Reactions
Domestic
Igor Dodon
Igor Dodon (; born 18 February 1975) is a Moldovan politician who previously served as the president of Moldova from 23 December 2016 to 24 December 2020. He currently serves as the leader of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova. ...
, leader of the country's largest opposition party, the influential
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
-friendly
Socialist Party
Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of t ...
, has denounced the government's silence toward what he described as "officials and representatives of right-wing extremist, nationalist and "neo-Nazi" groups from Romania who attended the 5 July gathering.
After a first meeting with the leaders of the protesters, Moldovan PM Valeriu Streleț stated that his government would resign only in case of a
no-confidence vote
A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...
in Parliament. In a message published on the Presidency page,
Nicolae Timofti
Nicolae Timofti (; born 22 December 1948 in Ciutulești, Moldavian SSR) is a Moldovan jurist and politician who was President of Moldova from 23 March 2012 until 23 December 2016. He served as head of Moldova's Supreme Magistrate Council and was ...
cataloged the 6 September demonstration as a democratic exercise. As for his resignation, Timofti said he won't resign because "such a decision would bring instability to the Republic of Moldova".
According to
Dorin Chirtoacă
Dorin Chirtoacă (born 9 August 1978) is a Moldovan politician who served as Mayor of Chișinău from 2007 to 2018. He has been leader of Liberal Party (PL) since 2018.
Biography
His mother is Valentina, sister of Gheorghe Ghimpu and Mihai ...
, Mayor of Chișinău, pressure from society must exist, but organizers of protests should correctly calculate their forces and actions. He also stated that eventual early elections would further destabilize the situation in Moldova. A similar position was adopted by Moldova's parliament speaker,
Andrian Candu
Andrian Candu (born 27 November 1975) is a Moldovan politician, who served as chairman of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova between 2015 and 2019. He left political life and went back to consultancy business, where previously he has buil ...
, saying such a move would leave the country stuck in economic crisis. During the September protests, Dorin Chirtoacă has called for the tents to be removed from the central boulevard and claimed that not only is the protest illegal, but that it is being fomented by
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
. He has claimed that Renato Usatîi and
Igor Dodon
Igor Dodon (; born 18 February 1975) is a Moldovan politician who previously served as the president of Moldova from 23 December 2016 to 24 December 2020. He currently serves as the leader of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova. ...
are puppets of
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime m ...
.
International
Official reactions
=Supranational organisations
=
* In response to the
2014 Moldovan bank fraud scandal
In 2014, $1 billion disappeared from three Moldovan banks: ''Banca de Economii'', ''Unibank'' and ''Banca Socială''.EU,
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster gl ...
and
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
(14 September 2015)
*
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, commonly known as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) or the United Nations Human Rights Office, is a department of the Secretariat of the United Nati ...
,
Zeid Ra'ad Al-Hussein
Prince Zeid bin Ra'ad bin Zeid al-Hussein ( ar, زيد ابن رعد الحسين; born 26 January 1964) is a Jordanian former diplomat who is the Perry World House Professor of the Practice of Law and Human Rights at the University of Pennsylvan ...
, has called on authorities in Moldova to address the demands of protesters, warning that a failure to do so "could lead to greater polarization of society".
=States
=
* Romanian Prime Minister
Victor Ponta
Victor Viorel Ponta (; born 20 September 1972) is a Romanian jurist and politician, who served as Prime Minister of Romania between his appointment by President Traian Băsescu in May 2012 and his resignation in November 2015. A former member ...
expressed his concern about the situation in Moldova, that, in his opinion, is "worse than last year", but says that he supports his counterpart in Chișinău and Moldova's European course. Ponta is a vocal supporter of Romania's reunification. In September 2014, he gave a speech at
Alba Iulia
Alba Iulia (; german: Karlsburg or ''Carlsburg'', formerly ''Weißenburg''; hu, Gyulafehérvár; la, Apulum) is a city that serves as the seat of Alba County in the west-central part of Romania. Located on the Mureș River in the historica ...
, stating that "my commitment is to jointly make a second
Great Union
In Romanian historiography, the Great Union ( ro, Marea Unire) or Great Union of 1918 () was the series of political unifications the Kingdom of Romania had with several of the so-called Romanian historical regions, starting with Bessarabia on 2 ...
of Romania". During a meeting of the Presidents of Romania and Moldova in
Suceava
Suceava () is the largest urban settlement and the seat town ( ro, oraș reședință de județ) of Suceava County, situated in the historical region of Bukovina, northeastern Romania, and at the crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe. Klaus Pet ...
,
Klaus Iohannis
Klaus Werner Iohannis (; ; also spelled Johannis; born 13 June 1959) is a Romanian politician, physicist and former teacher who has been serving as the president of Romania since 2014. He became leader of the National Liberal Party (Romania), Na ...
stated that "people on both sides of the Prut" will be found in one day not only in the EU, but also "in communion", adding that "we will be there for Moldovan citizens no matter how much effort we have to exert and how much will last".
:On 26 January 2016, the
Government of Romania
, image =
, caption=Logo of the Government of Romania
, date = 1862
, state = Romania
, address = Victoria PalaceBucharest
, appointed = President
, leader_title = Prime Minister
, ma ...
offered a €60 million loan to help stave off economic collapse. To get the money, Prime Minister
Dacian Cioloș
Dacian Julien Cioloș (; born 27 July 1969) is a Romanian agronomist who served as Prime Minister of Romania from November 2015 to January 2017. He previously served as Agriculture Minister under Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu between October 2007 a ...
said Moldova will have to reform its justice system, fight corruption, sign a draft agreement for a loan from the
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster gl ...
and appoint a new central bank governor.
* According to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
Embassy in Chișinău, protests highlight the frustration experienced by many Moldovans due to lack of reforms in their country. American diplomats support the right of citizens to protest peacefully, urging Moldova's Government to quickly implement the necessary reforms, such as expanding anti-corruption efforts.
Others
* According to
Stratfor
Strategic Forecasting Inc., commonly known as Stratfor, is an American geopolitics publisher and consultancy founded in 1996. Stratfor's business model is to provide individual and enterprise subscriptions to Stratfor Worldview, its online public ...
, protests could threaten the stability of Moldova's fragile government. Consequently, the possible weakening or collapse of the Moldovan government "could slow Moldova's European integration". A similar analysis from Stratfor shows that "the recent rallies and the positive reaction from top Romanian officials are signs of increasing Romanian influence in Moldova".
* / Former Georgian President
Mikheil Saakashvili
Mikheil Saakashvili ( ka, მიხეილ სააკაშვილი ; uk, Міхеіл Саакашвілі ; born 21 December 1967) is a Georgian and Ukrainian politician and jurist.
, now Governor of Ukrainian
Odessa Oblast
Odesa Oblast ( uk, Оде́ська о́бласть, translit=Odeska oblast), also referred to as Odeshchyna ( uk, Оде́щина) is an oblast (province) of southwestern Ukraine, located along the northern coast of the Black Sea. Its admini ...
, considers that protests taking place in Chișinău are "an anti-oligarchic movement which answers Ukraine's aspirations". "It is known that, in recent years, Moldovan oligarchs began to control everything. They control all state bodies, most of the Parliament and almost entirely the premier. When former prime minister hiril Gaburicitried to change something, was immediately put on the table a file with compromising materials. This is a typical oligarchic style", concluded Saakashvili. Likewise, Saakashvili deems "the people come out on street to protest against oligarchs, but not in the favor of Russia. I think that the whole population of the Republic of Moldova is for Europe, and among youth it is an absolute majority".
* In an article published by the news agency
RIA Novosti
RIA Novosti (russian: РИА Новости), sometimes referred to as RIAN () or RIA (russian: РИА, label=none) is a Russian state-owned domestic news agency. On 9 December 2013 by a decree of Vladimir Putin it was liquidated and its asset ...
, President of the Center for Systematic Analysis and Forecasting in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, Rostislav Ishchenko, says that events in the Republic of Moldova remind of the "orange" scenario. According to the author, all "colored" coups were organized and guided by the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
, and the embassies were coordination centres for protesters, scenario also "applied" in Moldova. Moreover, Russian analyst writes that "rumors that make connections between protesters and EU, particularly
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
, country from where would be financed the DJ Platform, are identical to those linking the protests in Kiev and financiers in Germany".
See also
*
April 2009 Moldovan parliamentary election protests
Protests against the April 2009 Moldovan parliamentary election results began on 6 April 2009 in major cities of Moldova (including Bălți and the capital, Chișinău) before the final official results were announced. The demonstrators claim ...
2002 Moldovan protests
The 2002 Moldovan protests were a series of mass protests and growing street opposition demonstrations against the socialist regime and the opposition's ban in elections in Moldova. However, initial protests first began after the government bann ...