Moldovan Pro-European Government Failed Due to Coalition Partner Sabotage - Expert

In Moldova, a pro-Western government led by Maia Sandu collapsed following a vote of no confidence, orchestrated by ACUM Bloc’s unlikely political partner – Socialist Party siding with exiled oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc’s Democratic Party.

Vladislav Kulminski, a former Moldovan government advisor, explained why the Sandu government failed, and what future awaits the country:

"After the local oligarch, Vladimir Plahotniuc, was sent into exile in the middle of this year, what basically happened was that Moldova had a coalition government between pro-Russian socialist party and the pro-European ACUM party. The government was run by ACUM, and ACUM has set a key priority for itself – justice sector reforms, prosecutor’s office reforms, and generally clean institutions that would work to support Moldova’s economic development. But at the same time the Socialist Party was working behind the scenes to recapture the government after Plahotniuc had left. And they succeeded in the end – there was a big fight over the prosecutor’s office. ACUM had refused to accept a prosecutor general which would in fact be subordinated to the pro-Russian Socialist Party, to the president. The government failed, the government was voted out. And today there is a new government in the Republic of Moldova, and it is supported by the Democratic Party, self-styled as a pro-European party. And in essence, you witness attempts and efforts to restore the previous system, where one person and one party controlled everything, all institutions in the Republic of Moldova. Next year is going to be very difficult, next year is going to be a year of big political fights, so we will either see Moldova sliding back into authoritarianism, Moldova sliding back into the use of captured institutions to benefit just a few people, or we will see a return to a government that will be really determined in order to change Moldova from within."