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1 1 (October 15, 2018)

handle is hein.crs/goveavd0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Moldova: An Overview Updated October 15, 2018 Moldova is one of three post-Soviet states, together with Ukraine and Georgia, seeking greater integration with the West as it copes with separatist territories occupied by Russian forces. A small, landlocked state, Moldova is located near the Black Sea between Ukraine and Romania. Politics Observers consider Moldova a functioning democracy, although it has faced numerous political challenges. Most recently, in summer 2018, mass protests were held against a court decision to annul the results of a snap mayoral election in Chisinau, Moldova's capital, which had been won by an opposition leader. The court's decision was criticized by outside observers, including the European Union and the United States. The current government, formed in 2016, is led by Prime Minister Pavel Filip of the Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM). The PDM claims a pro-Western mantle, although critics argue that the party primarily represents the interests of its chairman, wealthy businessman Vladimir Plahotniuc. Since 2016, Moldova has had a directly elected presidency. In November 2016, the Russian-leaning Igor Dodon of the Socialist Party was elected with 52% of the vote in a second-round vote. The president has relatively limited formal powers, but Dodon has sought to expand them. The next parliamentary elections were to be held in November 2018, but in July 2018 the parliament voted to delay the elections until February 2019. The Socialist Party is the country's most popular party (with 32% support, according to a spring 2018 poll). The second most popular party is the opposition Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), with 15% support. PAS leader and ex-presidential candidate Maia Sandu supported the efforts of Andrei Nistase to claim the Chisinau mayor's office in June 2018; their two parties are expected to unite for the upcoming elections. The ruling PDM is much less popular, with 8% support. Although the PDM-led Cabinet and President Dodon have been divided on several issues, they have cooperated in support of a controversial new election code. The law replaces a party-list system for elections with a mixed system of party lists and single-member districts. The changes are said to favor the PDM and the Socialist Party at the expense of smaller parties. In some cases, the Constitutional Court has ruled against Dodon. It has temporarily suspended him from office at least four times for not fulfilling what it said were his constitutional duties. The suspensions permitted parliamentary chairman Andrian Candu to appoint ministers and pass legislation while serving as interim president. Public opinion generally is critical of the country's current course and government. Some 69% of respondents in the recent poll said Moldova is going in the wrong direction; 61% disapproved of the government, and 29% approved. Public opinion toward President Dodon is almost equally divided, appearing to reflect an overall split between Western-leaning and Russian-leaning populations. Figure I. Moldova at a Glance Population: 3.55 million (2017 est.) Comparative Area: slightly larger than Maryland Ethnic Composition: 75-b Moldovan, 71a Romanian, 7% Ukrainian, 5%cGagauz, 4% Russian, 2% Bulgarian (2014 est.) Main Languages: Moldovar/Romanian: 79%, Russian: 15% (2014 est.) Religion: 92% Orthodox Christian, 6% other Christian GDP/GDP per capita: $7.9 billion/$2,240 (2017 est.) Top Exports: electrical machinery, oil seeds, fruit and nuts, beverages, cereals (2017) Leadership: Prime Minister Pavel Filip, President Igor Dodon, Foreign Minister Tudor Ulianovschi, Defense Minister Eugen Sturza, Parliamentary Chairman Andrian Candu Sources: Moldova National Bureau of Statistics and IMF (does not include Transnistria). Figure created by CRS. The PDM gained power after the previous government collapsed as the result of fallout from a massive bank fraud case involving the alleged loss of some $1 billion, equivalent to more than 12% of Moldova's gross domestic product (GDP). This was Moldova's fourth pro-Western ruling coalition to collapse since 2013. From 2001 to 2009, Moldova was run by a reformed Communist Party. Pro- Western forces won a contentious election in 2009, but infighting, corruption, and popular protest gradually weakened their authority. Transn istrian Conflict Since independence, Moldova has coped with the secession of Transnistria, a Russian-backed territory with some 15% of the country's population and a substantial but faltering industrial base. Transnistria has economic relations with the European Union (EU), the destination for around half of Transnistria-origin exports. A political resolution to the Transnistrian conflict remains distant. The Moldovan government supports the establishment of a special status for Transnistria within Moldova, but the Russia-backed Transnistrian authorities have resisted an agreement. Russia has stationed around 1,500-2,000 forces in the region, a few hundred of which Moldova accepts as peacekeepers. Russia also has distributed Russian passports to residents. gross.gov

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