In recent months, the Moldovan parliament passed two bills which aim to change the country’s electoral system. It now seems ever more likely that Moldova will adopt a mixed electoral model and increase the chances of Vlad Plahotniuc, an oligarch (who is the wealthiest and most influential man in Moldova) and leader of the biggest pro-European party in the ruling coalition, to stay in power after the planned 2018 parliamentary elections. Time and again, Plahotniuc has found support from his formal rival – the leader of the pro-Russian socialists, President Igor Dodon.

Since the very beginning of its independent existence, the Republic of Moldova has been a unique state in the post-Soviet space. As the only Soviet republic, Moldova declared independence (on August 27th, 1991) not in order to build its own political future, but to become part of another country - Romania. The unification project collapsed, however (due to the outbreak of civil war, subsequent disintegration of the state and the lack of interest in the project in Romania), and the young state suddenly found herself in an ideological vacuum.

With the presidential election planned for December 11th, the political situation in Transnistria is becoming increasingly tense. Holding the majority of seats in the Supreme Council (the local parliament), the opposition, which is closely connected to the main economic force in the region, a corporation named “Sheriff”, has focused its efforts on criticising current president Yevgeny Shevchuk. The opposition has accused the unrecognised republic’s leader of misappropriation of 100 million USD from public funds and also of high treason. In his defence, Shevchuk has portrayed the opposition as a tool in the hands of the oligarchs and looked to the Kremlin for support. However, it seems unlikely that Russia will back Shevchuk, who has been widely unpopular. The disastrous economic situation of the republic, largely due to his policies, has not worked in his favour. Meanwhile, it seems that the opposition has already chosen his successor.

The Russian intervention in Crimea showed that Moscow is willing to use its armed forces to achieve its strategic goal of preventing Ukraine and other Eastern Partnership countries from deepening their integration with the European Union. Previously, the instruments the Kremlin used to achieve this goal were limited to political and economic pressures. In particular, Moldova is worth examining.