• Research
  • Politika
  • About
Carnegie Russia Eurasia center logoCarnegie lettermark logo
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Matthew Rojansky",
    "Igor Munteanu",
    "William Hill"
  ],
  "type": "commentary",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "russia",
  "programs": [
    "Russia and Eurasia"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Eastern Europe",
    "Moldova"
  ],
  "topics": []
}
REQUIRED IMAGE

REQUIRED IMAGE

Commentary

Moldova: The Growing Pains of Democracy

Prolonged political stalemate in Moldova raises questions about the country’s ability to stay the course of reform despite the lack of immediate and gratifying results.

Link Copied
By Matthew Rojansky, Igor Munteanu, William Hill
Published on Jan 31, 2012

Prolonged political stalemate in Moldova raises questions about the country’s ability to stay the course of reform despite the lack of immediate and gratifying results. At the same time, December’s election of Yevgeny Shevchuk—a new and younger face in Transnistria—has again raised hopes for normalization of the decades-old conflict with the breakaway region. Is Moldova’s political deadlock proof that the democratic process is working or evidence of a failing system? Is Russia losing the ability to impose its own flagging brand of “sovereign democracy” in nearby separatist enclaves? What can the United States do to encourage Moldova’s slow, but steady progress toward greater implementation of Helsinki commitments?

About the Authors

Matthew Rojansky

Former Deputy Director, Russia and Eurasia Program

Rojansky, formerly executive director of the Partnership for a Secure America, is an expert on U.S. and Russian national security and nuclear-weapon policies.

Igor Munteanu

William Hill

Authors

Matthew Rojansky
Former Deputy Director, Russia and Eurasia Program
Matthew Rojansky
Igor Munteanu
William Hill
Eastern EuropeMoldova

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Transnistria Reemerges as an Obstacle to Moldova Joining the EU

    The issue of withdrawing troops and tons of ammunition from the left bank of the Dniester River requires discussion with Russia, and the Moldovan authorities are not yet ready for that.

      Vladimir Solovyov

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Moldova’s Window to Reintegrate Breakaway Transnistria Is Closing

    If Transnistria continues to be ignored, the breakaway state will gradually become a deserted subsidized Russian military base. Regaining control over such an entity would be a far more complicated, painful, and costly endeavor for Chișinău.

      Evgeny Cheban

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Moldova Elections: Managed Stability, Fragile Politics

    Should PAS fall short of an outright majority, political instability would likely follow. Potential coalition partners are considered either unreliable or politically compromised, leaving any post-election alliance fragile and prone to collapse.

      Balázs Jarábik

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Consolidating Power, Losing Ground: Moldova Risks Repeating Past Mistakes Ahead of Fall Elections

    As Russia’s war in Ukraine reshapes domestic standards across the region, Moldova’s path of political consolidation makes it a frontier—rather than an outlier—in a broader European trend.

      Balázs Jarábik

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Domestic Failures Haunt Moldova’s Pro-EU Party as Election Looms

    Support for a single political force in Moldova means the EU’s reputation there is increasingly tied to the fate of the Party of Action and Solidarity. Brussels already made a similar choice back in the 2010s—and it has backfired.

      Vladimir Solovyov

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
Carnegie Russia Eurasia logo, white
  • Research
  • Politika
  • About
  • Experts
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.