A Well-Kept Secret

I almost completely disagree with the majority of this article from a Romanian author describing Moldova’s current problems. But I do note that the author is absolutely right about one thing: Russia has another considerable advantage, namely that Romania lacks focus and expertise on Moldova. Romania has in the past years been Moldova’s closest partner in support of its European trajectory. Currently, however, there are … Continue reading A Well-Kept Secret

Storm Clouds Gather in Moldova

It’s another day of bitterly cold temperatures and another day of protests here in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova. Unfortunately for me, I was swamped with work and unable to go see the protests firsthand but my wife was in the area and reported that the protests were more strident than ever. For some bizarre reason, the foreign press keeps on misspelling names, such as … Continue reading Storm Clouds Gather in Moldova

Moldova at the Breaking Point

Despite a lack of media coverage anywhere except in the Russian press, the protests in Moldova have been continuing in the snow and cold. Unfortunately, I missed the excitement last night as protesters stormed the Parliament: Protesters broke into Moldova’s parliament after it approved a new pro-European government. The vote was aimed at ending months of political deadlock but was boycotted by opposition parties. Pavel … Continue reading Moldova at the Breaking Point

Media Finally Pays Attention to Moldova

At long last, the worthless AP bureau in Bucharest began paying attention to the protests that have been rocking Chisinau (the capital of the Republic of Moldova) for days: The protest came amid a standoff between President Nicolae Timofti and the pro-European governing coalition. Timofti on Thursday nominated Ion Paduraru, the general secretary of his presidential office, to be prime minister — a day after … Continue reading Media Finally Pays Attention to Moldova

A Hated Oligarch is Romania’s Last Hope

Moldova is rapidly heading towards the precipice: Moldova’s president on Wednesday rejected a proposal to nominate an influential politician and businessman to become the next prime minister, saying there were doubts about his integrity. But President Nicolae Timofti said there were reasonable suspicions about Plahotniuc’s integrity and said he would not nominate him for the job. He told the pro-European coalition to pick another candidate … Continue reading A Hated Oligarch is Romania’s Last Hope