The Moldovan capital of Chișinău sees protests again, after a controversial proposal to introduce a mixed electoral system. “The PD-PSRM mix doesn’t represent me!” and “Free hugs; Plahotniuc, I’m waiting for you!”, read these placards. Image still via Radio Europa Liberă / YouTube. Some rights reserved.
It’s favourite move of dictators and autocrats everywhere: change the rules of the game once you start losing support or approach the legally mandated finish line. The post-Soviet space abounds in cases where heads of state overstay their terms in office. Until recently, Moldova stood out as a model of democratic transformation among the Commonwealth of Independent States. However, my country’s glory was short-lived.
Despite high expectations about Moldova’s initial successes on its path towards European integration, embodied by the signing of the association agreements and a visa-free regime with the European Union, powerful actors have begun to hollow out the country’s democracy. Media freedom is being curtailed through a concentration of ownership and, as a result, political pluralism is withering away. The most recent innovation, a dubious call for electoral reform, is just latest sign of a democracy in deep decline.
