Moldova is experiencing, perhaps, the most serious political crisis in its history. The pro-Russian and pro-European forces in parliament unexpectedly united with each other and with the president to remove the country’s main oligarch from power. But the latter decided not to surrender and, with the help of the Constitutional Court, \u201cdismissed\u201d the rioters. Now both sides claim legitimate authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Street protests began<\/a> in support of both sides of the conflict. So what actually happened in Chisinau?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Starting Point: Parliamentary Elections and Coalition Disputes<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the results of the elections on February 24, seats in the new parliament turned out to be almost equally divided between the three main political forces \u2013 the pro-Russian Socialist Party, the pro-European ACUM bloc and the Democratic Party of Moldova under the leadership of the country’s richest man, Vlad Plahotniuc<\/a>. Moldova is a parliamentary republic, so the winners were to form a coalition and determine the composition of the new government. Negotiations went on for more than three months, but a failure to find a resolution was the outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Plahotniuc proposed the ACUM bloc to unite, but each time, was refused: \u201cThe ACUM bloc will not participate in any consultations with the current leadership of the PDM, since this clan is responsible for seizing the state, for isolating the country from the outside and undermining the economy due to the questionable seizure of the most important of economic assets, for poverty and for the expulsion of people from the country,\u201d<\/em> one of the leaders of ACUM, Andrei N\u0103stase, justifies his position<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Catalyst: Constitutional Court and Dissolution of Parliament<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the law, the newly elected Moldovan Parliament is given a certain amount of time to approve the new government. If it fails to, the president can dissolve it and call for new elections. The deadline for the formation of the government caused controversy in the country. However, on June 7, the Constitutional Court suddenly ruled that the new government must be formed on June 8, stressing that the president should dissolve the \u201cfailed\u201d parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conflict: new government approved contrary to Constitutional Court decision<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Under the threat of the dissolution of parliament, opposition forces in the Socialist Party and the pro-European bloc ACUM, signed a temporary coalition agreement on the morning of June 8. They were supported by President Igor Dodon. Indignant MPs gathered for an emergency meeting in a darkened session hall. The lights did not work and the service personnel neither came to work nor answered calls. Shortly after, the parliament officially proclaimed Moldova, “a captured state,” where, according to the MPs, all key state structures, including the Constitutional Court, are now under the control of Vlad Plahotniuc, the country’s biggest oligarch and leader of the ruling Democratic Party.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMoldovan revolt: key facts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n