The year 2020 was marked by a number of political events. According to the rankings compiled by the Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT, the declaring of the state of emergency to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 17 is the first event of the kind. The presidential elections of November 1 and 15 rank second, farmers’ protest – third, the legislative offensive of the unofficial PSRM-Shor Party parliamentary majority to adopt a number of controversial laws, by violating the legislative procedures – fourth, while the resignation of the Chicu Government – fifth, IPN reports.
According to ADEPT, the efficient management of the pandemic crisis was affected by the involvement of the political factor to the detriment of the professional one in the process of adopting and taking measures to prevent and fight the spread of COVID-19. The administrative effort to fight COVID-19 was consistent, but, compared with other states with a similar economic and administrative potential, like Georgia, Moldova’s efficiency was minimal.
The presidential elections of November 1 and 15 revealed a series of major shortcomings in the functioning of national public and private institutions that should be removed before other elections. The election outcome revealed the wish of the absolute majority of citizens to change the country’s development course to that set by Maia Sandu, who stated her ambition to become a national leader The massive vote of the Moldovan diaspora in the presidential elections was the absolute sensation of the political year 2020.
Affected by the pandemic crisis and by a severe drought and left without the Government’s support, the Moldovan farmers, united under the aegis of the National Farmers’ Association, mounted a series of protests in August and in October that ended with a large-scale protest in December, caused by the authorities’ decision to raise the VAT rate on agricultural products from 8% la 12%. The farmers ultimately formulated also political demands, including for the Government to resign.
At the start of December, after a pause of several months, the Socialist parliamentary group, in concert with the MPs of the Shor Party, staged a real legislative offensive, proposing a series of controversial bills that are very sensitive for the country’s political and financial stability, without obeying the legal procedures. The goal of this dangerous approach was to prefigure the PSRM’s electoral program for the eventual snap parliamentary elections that would push Igor Dodon back to the center of the political life following his defeat in the recent presidential elections.
Toward the end of the year, the multiple crises experienced by the Republic of Moldova in the course of 2020, such as the pandemic, the economic and political ones, turned into a governmental crisis. On December 23, Prime Minister Ion Chicu announced the Government’s resignation so as to ensure the conditions needed to dissolve Parliament and to call snap parliamentary elections. The most important parliamentary groups – the PSRM, PAS, PPDA and PDM – said they are for snap parliamentary elections, which are expected to be held in the first half of 2021. The Premier’s announcement of the resignation is the last in ADEPT’s rankings of the main political events.
