{"id":1203,"date":"2019-08-05T18:53:11","date_gmt":"2019-08-05T16:53:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zdg.md\/eng\/?p=1203"},"modified":"2019-08-05T18:53:12","modified_gmt":"2019-08-05T16:53:12","slug":"moldova-explained-by-zdg-august-5-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zdg.md\/en\/moldova-explained-by-zdg-august-5-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Moldova, Explained by ZdG. August 5, 2019."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>HAPPENING THIS WEEK<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Greetings from Chi\u015fin\u0103u! Here\u2019s what\u2019s happening this week: Our feature story takes us to Constituency 18, Orhei, where locals are coming to terms with the fact that their parliamentary deputy, Ilan Shor, has fled the country after being convicted of money laundering and fraud. In this week\u2019s editorials, our Executive Director takes a look at Vlad Plahotniuc\u2019s resignation letter to parliament, while our Politics Editor asks some questions of the ACUM Bloc. Meanwhile, ZdG\u2019s Editor-in-Chief tells us what Moldova can learn from the tragic killings in Romania\u2019s town of Caracal. In the Foreign Brief, we share Prime Minister Sandu\u2019s plans for her upcoming official visit to Moscow and mark the twenty-seventh anniversary of the Moldovan Security Zone\u2019s Joint Peacekeeping Forces. We also examine the criminal case initiated in response to the expulsion of seven Turkish teachers from Moldova, as well as the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) case of Andrei N\u0103stase vs. Moldova. Plus we explain the latest amendments to Moldova\u2019s Electoral Code, which recently passed in their second parliamentary reading. As always, we have our weekly roundup of news and analysis about Moldova from around the world. And don\u2019t forget to like our new English-language <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=4141e27ab1&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook page<\/a> for the latest updates from ZDG throughout the week. Happy reading!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>THIS WEEK\u2019S FEATURE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cSO WHAT IF HE STOLE?\u201d: <\/strong>Ilan Shor may have fled Moldova illegally, but he\u2019s still a parliamentary deputy representing Constituency 18 \u2013 Orhei. So to find out what the people who voted for him think of his recent conviction for money laundering and fraud, ZdG travelled to <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=2ce23c76c4&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Shor\u2019s constituency<\/a> to meet them. While many residents were aware of the charges against him, few believed Shor had truly done anything wrong. Some remained skeptical because, as one man put it, <em>\u201cone doesn\u2019t flee without reason.\u201d <\/em>But pensioners were often especially supportive and said they would vote for Shor again, even knowing the criminal charges he\u2019s received. \u201c<em>There are many [politicians] who stole money, maybe he stole it too. Even if he did it, I trust him. That\u2019s our conviction,\u201d <\/em>one woman told ZdG.<em> \u201cHe did not run away, he will come back and fulfill his promises.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"> <strong>FROM THE EDITORS<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>PLAHOTNIUC RESIGNS: <\/strong>After fleeing the country last month Democratic Party leader and oligarch Vlad Plahotniuc finally broke his silence on Tuesday with a Facebook message and an official letter to Parliament. This was Plahotniuc\u2019s way of submitting his resignation as a parliamentary deputy, but according <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=3fbb1befbe&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ZdG\u2019s Executive Director Alina Radu<\/a>, <em>\u201c<\/em><em>It is obvious that, having disappeared, Plahotniuc is not definitively gone. He is still working in Moldova.\u201d&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>QUESTIONS FOR ACUM: <\/strong>With Vlad Plahotniuc and the Democratic Party all but out of the picture, the biggest threat in Moldovan politics seems to have been removed. But while this was going on, President Igor Dodon of the pro-Russian Socialist Party was working to consolidate his hold on state institutions.<em> \u201c<\/em><em>If this is the price of the alleged \u2018de-oligarchization,\u2019 then Moldovans have to be asked if they agree to pay this price,\u201d<\/em> &nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=5b7856d2b0&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ZdG Politics Editor Petru Grozavu<\/a>warns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>CARACAL CASE: <\/strong>The small town of Caracal has become the crime capital of Romania after a number of young women became the victims of an alleged serial killer. To this day no one knows the exact number of women that have been killed or the place where they died \u2013 highlighting the shortcomings of regional law enforcement. And as Moldova seeks to reform its institutions \u2013 including the police and the Prosecutor&#8217;s Office \u2013 the Caracal case underscores the need for personnel changes that are justified, objective and well founded, argues <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=33ea87c98c&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ZdG Editor-in-Chief Aneta Grosu<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>THE FOREIGN BRIEF<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>NEXT STOP MOSCOW: <\/strong>Moldova\u2019s Prime Minister Maia Sandu is planning an <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=c5e5e71bd6&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">official visit to Moscow<\/a> in September, at the invitation of her Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev. A joint intergovernmental meeting is set to take place between the two countries that month, to discuss the entire spectrum of their bilateral agenda. Key issues to be considered include trade, Transnistria and the supply of Russian natural gas to Moldova, among other things. President Igor Dodon will also be returning to Russia at the end of August.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>TROUBLED PEACEKEEPING: <\/strong>July 31, 2019 marked 27 years since the creation of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces in the Moldovan Security Zone. In that time, the peacekeeping operation has been criticized for failing to contribute to the settlement of the frozen conflict or address the problems that the Moldovan authorities and the populations on the two banks of the Nistru River face. What\u2019s more, the mission \u2013 made up of military divisions from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and the Transnistrian region \u2013 does not comply with the UN\u2019s peacekeeping standards of conduct. The involvement of Russia, a party to the Transnistrian conflict, as a peacekeeper is also questionable. And the ECHR has taken on multiple cases regarding abuses at the hands of peacekeeping forces. As a result, the role of <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=b9bb827428&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the mission remains contested<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>TURKISH TEACHERS: <\/strong>Moldova\u2019s Prosecutor General\u2019s Office has announced a criminal case in response to the abuse of power and overstepping of authority that took place during the <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=306bcd4895&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">forced expulsion<\/a> of seven Turkish teachers in September 2018. The case was initiated after the ECHR condemned Moldova for violating the rights of the Turkish citizens, obliging the country to&nbsp; pay a total of \u20ac125,000 in damages to five of the seven teachers involved. Meanwhile, <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=0fff7d4c76&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Balkan Insight <\/a>reports that Turkey has sentenced another one of the deported teachers to 12 years in prison.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>N<\/strong><strong>\u0102<\/strong><strong>STASE VS. MOLDOVA: <\/strong>The ECHR has begun examining the case of&nbsp; <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=7593543e22&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Andrei N\u0103stase vs. Moldova<\/a>, regarding the invalidation of the June 2018 mayoral election results in Chi\u015fin\u0103u. A magistrate from the Chi\u015fin\u0103u Court dismissed the results of the election because of a Facebook post from the now Deputy Prime Minister urging people to go to the polling stations on election day. The court qualified N\u0103stase\u2019s message as an illegal act of electoral campaigning during the election day period of silence. The ECHR has addressed questions to both parties regarding the violation of articles of the Convention on Human Rights related to freedom of expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>ZDG INVESTIGATES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ELECTION UPDATES: <\/strong>During the Parliament\u2019s last meeting of the Spring-Summer session, Moldova\u2019s deputies voted in the second reading a draft law that amends <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=b743fe637b&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the Electoral Code<\/a>. On July 31, the deputies voted in favor of revoking the mixed electoral system, banning campaigning on election day and changing diaspora-related voting procedures. As a result, the next parliamentary elections should be based on a proportional voting system and party lists. But the deputies will have to approve all of these amendments in a final reading. ZdG breaks down what these changes could mean for Moldova\u2019s next election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>MOLDOVA IN WORLD NEWS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ANTI-GRAFT CHIEF: <\/strong>A former advisor to President Igor Dodon has been appointed as the new head of Moldova\u2019s National Anti-Corruption Centre (CNA). As <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=1068bcd85c&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Balkan Insight<\/a> reports, Ruslan Flocea is the third former advisor to the pro-Russian President to take up a top position in the state under the new government. Flocea was also investigated for corruption-related crimes under the Communist-led government, but insists that he plans to depoliticize the CNA and ensure its independence.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>TIRASPOL &amp; OSCE: <\/strong>The OSCE may be the leading international actor involved in the conflict management and resolution process in the Transnistrian region, but they\u2019re often met with impunity, explains Vladimir Socor in his latest analysis for the Jamestown Foundation\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=d71c998ab5&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Eurasia Daily Monitor<\/a>. <em>\u201cWith Moscow\u2019s support, Tiraspol is continually stretching the limits of the OSCE\u2019s tolerance of Transnistrian breaches of the ground rules of this process.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>NATIONAL PRIORITIES: <\/strong>The <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=94914b7c97&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">International Republican Institute<\/a> has published the results of their latest nationwide poll of Moldova, which was conducted prior to the formation of the new coalition government in June. The results indicate that citizens think economic issues and public service delivery at all levels should be the top priorities for the new politicians in power.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>HUMAN RIGHTS: <\/strong>Interested in human rights promotion in Moldova? Meduza Managing Editor Kevin Rothrock has got you covered with this episode of <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=4fffc8dab2&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Russia Guy podcast<\/a>. He&nbsp; interviews Gina S. Lentine, Senior Program Officer for Europe and Eurasia at Freedom House, on the work the organization is doing to support the advancement of freedom of expression&nbsp; in Moldova.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"has-text-color has-vivid-red-color\"><strong>SPOTTED THIS WEEK<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>THOUGHTS?: <\/strong>With one month of \u201cMoldova, Explained by ZDG\u201d newsletters behind us, we want to know what you think! Share your thoughts on our delivery time in the poll below or by emailing <a href=\"mailto:ziaruldegardaeng@gmail.md\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ziaruldegarda.eng@gmail.md<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"text-align:center\"><strong>Survey: What&#8217;s a convenient delivery timing for the newsletter?<\/strong><br><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/poll\/vote?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;c=99ba4aa2ef&amp;e=73cd2cfead&amp;p=f63a79f8d2&amp;v=b0a9a2d333\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Monday morning<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/poll\/vote?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;c=99ba4aa2ef&amp;e=73cd2cfead&amp;p=f63a79f8d2&amp;v=4eab6c8e8d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Monday evening<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/poll\/vote?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;c=99ba4aa2ef&amp;e=73cd2cfead&amp;p=f63a79f8d2&amp;v=0b63244947\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tuesday morning<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/poll\/vote?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;c=99ba4aa2ef&amp;e=73cd2cfead&amp;p=f63a79f8d2&amp;v=186c0efa3e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tuesday evening<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/poll\/vote?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;c=99ba4aa2ef&amp;e=73cd2cfead&amp;p=f63a79f8d2&amp;v=aecc46f743\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Friday evening<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>HUMAN TRAFFICKING: <\/strong>To mark the <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=c344874896&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">World Day Against Human Trafficking<\/a> on July 30, the U.S. Embassy in Moldova hosted the <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=5f96a02f99&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">OSCE Mission in Moldova<\/a>, IOM Moldova, representatives of the Moldovan Government and the La Strada center for the unveiling of \u201cInvisible in Plain Sight\u201d \u2013 an art installation based on the real-life stories of human trafficking victims. That same day, IOM Moldova, the Moldovan Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Protection and the National Agency for Social Assistance signed a Memorandum of Understanding on U.S. Government assistance for the development&nbsp; of specialized services for male trafficking victims specifically.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>WELCOME HOME: <\/strong>On July 31<strong>, <\/strong>Moldovan Troops <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=f7b582c34b&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">returned home<\/a> from military exercises at the National Training Center of the U.S. Army in Fort Irwin, California. Moldova\u2019s Prime Minister Maia Sandu, Defense Minister Pavel Voicu and U.S. Ambassador to Chi\u0219in\u0103u Dereck J. Hogan welcomed home 102 Moldovan soldiers following the largest dislocation of Moldovan troops outside of Europe since the country\u2019s independence. This took place on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the partnership between Moldova\u2019s Armed Forces and the National Guard of North Carolina, who also attended the event.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>NATO MEETING: <\/strong>Kristina Baleisyte, Head of the <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=0860d59302&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NATO Liaison Office in Moldova<\/a>, met with the country\u2019s Defense Minister Pavel Voicu, on August 1. The two officials discussed the different initiatives, programs and partnerships between Moldova and NATO, designed to offer assistance and expertise in the framework of the National Army\u2019s modernization process.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>EDUCATION: <\/strong>The <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=f7ea0b3ebb&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Japanese Embassy in Moldova<\/a> invested over $100,000 in the renovation of a Chi\u0219in\u0103u kindergarten. Japanese Ambassador to Moldova, Masanobu Yoshii declared that Japan will continue to directly support efforts to develop the educational system in the country and to help improve the quality of life in Moldova.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you for your continued interest! To keep up with our Moldova coverage throughout the week, you can like us on <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=7678174cc6&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Facebook<\/a>, follow us on <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=64b67d58ae&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Twitter @ZiarulDe<\/a> or check in at <a href=\"https:\/\/zdg.us7.list-manage.com\/track\/click?u=625e529534f3941e9f24693fa&amp;id=4147d7903e&amp;e=73cd2cfead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">zdg.md\/eng<\/a> for our latest stories in English. More subscription options coming soon. Until next week!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2013 Daniela Bechet,&nbsp; Cristina Carmanu, Maksym Eristavi, Eilish Hart and others from the ZdG Newsroom. Created with support from the Russian Language News Exchange. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>HAPPENING THIS WEEK Greetings from Chi\u015fin\u0103u! Here\u2019s what\u2019s happening this week: Our feature story takes us to Constituency 18, Orhei, where locals are coming to terms with the fact that their parliamentary deputy, Ilan Shor, has fled the country after being convicted of money laundering and fraud. In this week\u2019s editorials, our Executive Director takes&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1010,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,3,10,8,4,5],"tags":[],"autor":[],"class_list":["post-1203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-important","category-investigations","category-news","category-people","category-political","category-society"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Moldova, Explained by ZdG. August 5, 2019. - Ziarul de Gard\u0103<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zdg.md\/en\/moldova-explained-by-zdg-august-5-2019\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Moldova, Explained by ZdG. August 5, 2019. - Ziarul de Gard\u0103\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"HAPPENING THIS WEEK Greetings from Chi\u015fin\u0103u! Here\u2019s what\u2019s happening this week: Our feature story takes us to Constituency 18, Orhei, where locals are coming to terms with the fact that their parliamentary deputy, Ilan Shor, has fled the country after being convicted of money laundering and fraud. In this week\u2019s editorials, our Executive Director takes...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zdg.md\/en\/moldova-explained-by-zdg-august-5-2019\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Ziarul de Gard\u0103\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/zdg.md\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-08-05T16:53:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-08-05T16:53:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zdg.md\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/unnamed-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"608\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"385\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"daniela\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ZiarulDe\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ZiarulDe\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"daniela\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zdg.md\/en\/moldova-explained-by-zdg-august-5-2019\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zdg.md\/en\/moldova-explained-by-zdg-august-5-2019\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"daniela\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zdg.md\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/471d1fd44f0f0656d4cbab9a81deef32\"},\"headline\":\"Moldova, Explained by ZdG. 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