The expert argues that this mechanism is not a law enacted against specific parties, but rather a generally applicable instrument introduced into the Law on Political Parties.

“The succession mechanism was created precisely to prevent a party that has been declared unconstitutional from reemerging under a different legal form”, Polina Panainte explained.

According to her, the Venice Commission did not examine any specific party, nor did it examine the case of the “Sor” Party, but it did state that restricting the activities of a political party can be justified only in exceptional circumstances, provided that clear safeguards are in place and the necessity of such a measure is demonstrated.

Polina Panainte emphasized that the dissolution of a successor party cannot be ordered automatically, but requires a case-by-case analysis and concrete evidence of the existence of a political succession.

In this case, the Court of Appeals examined the criteria set forth by law for establishing such a connection. Among the factors considered by the court was the congress held in Moscow on July 6, 2025, where the leaders of the four political parties announced the formation of the “Victorie – Победа” political bloc, in the presence of Ilan Shor, who had been convicted in the bank fraud case.

On Wednesday, the Central Court of Appeals ordered the dissolution of the “Sansa,” “Renastere,” “Victorie,” and “Forta de Alternativa si Salvare a Moldovei” parties, finding that they are successors to the “Sor” Party, which was declared unconstitutional in 2023. For now, the court has published only the operative parts of the rulings, without the full reasoning behind them. The decisions may be appealed under the conditions provided by law.

The post The dissolution of the successors of the former “Sor” party is based on the mechanism introduced in 2025, expert appeared first on ipn.md.

The recommendations were presented during the public dialogue “Adjusting the legislation on political parties in the Republic of Moldova”. These were developed by ADEPT experts Igor Botan and Polina Panainte, together with international expert Fernando Casal Bértoa, based on the conclusions of the Electoral Forum 2026 and the recommendations of the Venice Commission.

The authors argue that the experience of recent elections has highlighted provisions that can generate disproportionate sanctions. They invoke the parliamentary elections of 2025, when a party was excluded from the electoral race due to the late submission of administrative documents. ADEPT proposes that such non-compliance can be remedied before the application of the maximum sanction – exclusion from elections.

Regarding financing, experts propose that subsidies from the budget should be granted only to parties that have obtained at least 2% of the votes. Also, a portion of the public funds is expected to be distributed based on the contributions paid by party members, to encourage the development of organizations with real member bases.

The package also provides for the clarification of election participation criteria, limiting the use of classified information as the sole reason for refusing the registration of a party, and introducing a gradual system of sanctions, where warning or fine should be applied before the dissolution of the formation.

The document was presented to the authorities, political parties, and representatives of civil society for consultation.

The post ADEPT proposes that state funding should be granted only to parties that obtain at least 2% of the votes appeared first on ipn.md.

The analysis carried out also indicates the possibility of intervention by the Central Electoral Commission, which could adopt an administrative act to allow the conduct of elections. If even this option is not realized, experts consider and adjust legislative changes at the level of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, to eliminate the ambiguities that have generated the crisis.

The Vice President of the CEC, Pavel Postica, warned that the lack of consensus between the autonomous and central authorities compromised the initial scenarios for organizing the elections. “If there was coordination and adherence to the agreed steps, the elections could have been organized even in the summer”, Postica stated.

On the other hand, the PAS deputy and co-chair of the working group between Parliament and Gagauzia, Larisa Voloh, emphasized the need to resume institutional dialogue between Chisinau and Comrat. Authorities do not rule out the possibility of organizing elections this fall, depending on the institutions’ ability to reach a compromise.

Chisinau and Comrat have been in an institutional conflict for several months due to the discrepancy between the decisions made in Comrat and the national electoral legislation. Comrat insists on a different name for the Central Electoral Council, while the authorities in Chisinau warn that this could lead to the invalidation of the elections.

On March 17, the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia approved the composition of the region’s electoral body and set the elections for the People’s Assembly on June 21. At the end of March, the Comrat territorial office of the State Chancellery challenged the decision, and the court annulled the resolutions of the Assembly.

The post Identified solutions for unblocking the elections for the Gagauzia Popular Assembly appeared first on ipn.md.

The data was presented during the round table: “Together for ensuring informational integrity”, organized by UNESCO, in partnership with the Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT and with the support of the Japanese Government.

In the opinion of the participants, the problem is no longer about isolated incidents, but about a growing phenomenon that affects the normal functioning of the press. Particularly, investigative journalists – those who document corruption or influence networks – become targets of coordinated campaigns of intimidation and discrediting.

According to experts, the institutional response in the field of journalist protection is in the process of strengthening, but challenges persist. In recent years, amendments have been made to the Penal Code and the Code of Misdemeanors, introducing clearer sanctions for obstructing journalistic activity, including in cases of intimidation, threat, or violence.

At the same time, provisions have been established that protect journalistic sources and limit unjustified interference in media activity. In addition, aggravating circumstances have been introduced for acts committed against journalists, including in the online environment and during public demonstrations.

Event participants emphasized that the protection of journalists cannot be considered a responsibility limited to a single institution. They highlighted the need for an integrated approach, where legislation, law enforcement, inter-institutional cooperation, and active societal support combine to ensure a safe and free environment for the media.

The post Over 100 attacks on journalists in a year: only nine have made it to court appeared first on ipn.md.

The Deputy Mayor of Sculeni commune, from Ungheni district, Valeriu Antonov, stated that the locality applied for a project to build a sewage system worth 60 million lei, but it was not selected due to the small size of the community.

“We are too small a community for large-scale investments. It is necessary for us to grow and develop, to reach urban standards even in a rural environment. With a thousand or two thousand inhabitants, we cannot implement projects designed for five or ten thousand people,” explained Valeriu Antonov.

And the mayor of Telita commune in Anenii Noi district, Rodica Rusu, sees the amalgamation of localities as a viable solution for economic development. According to her, communities cannot permanently depend on funds allocated by central authorities and need to strengthen their own economic base. The unification of localities would bring a larger workforce and increased administrative capacity, essential factors for attracting investors.

Local authority representatives draw attention to the fact that, in small communities, administrative costs are higher relative to the number of inhabitants. Conversely, public services become more efficient and sustainable when a larger number of users are connected to the same networks and infrastructures.

According to ADEPT, in 2025 the process of voluntary amalgamation involved 370 municipalities from across the country. 83 potential unification clusters were identified, two of which have already been completed.

The event was organized within the framework of the project “Strengthening the capacities of local public authorities and supporting dialogue in the public administration reform process”, implemented by the ADEPT Association, with financial support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Republic of Moldova.

The post Without amalgamation, small villages cannot attract significant investments, mayors appeared first on ipn.md.

According to the Executive Director of ADEPT, Igor Botan, the 2025 elections were marked by unprecedented pressures. “The existing rules are being overtaken by cross-border illegal financing and digital manipulation. Civil society contributes with data and analysis, which help the state adapt its rules to these realities, before the vulnerabilities are repeated in the next elections”, Botan stated.

The Executive Director of the Promo-LEX Association, Ion Manole, stated that the Electoral Forum 2026 is a vital space for strengthening the integrity of electoral processes. According to the expert, presenting the conclusions of the Promo-LEX mission and engaging in dialogue with political actors, institutions and civil society helps identify solutions that can ensure fair, transparent, and inclusive elections in Moldova.

The international partners of the forum, among which Sweden, the United Kingdom and France, have emphasized the importance of independent monitoring and adherence to democratic standards. They stressed that support and collaboration with civil society and state institutions contribute to increasing citizens’ trust in the electoral process and strengthening the democratic resilience of the Republic of Moldova.

During the debates, participants discussed the influence of third-party actors in elections, including covert political promotion and undeclared campaigns, as well as the integrity of parties and the transparency of their funding. Emphasis was also placed on equal voting access for all citizens, including the diaspora and people with disabilities, as well as on the necessary measures to protect the electoral process against illegitimate interference.

The 2026 Electoral Forum brought together public authorities, deputies, experts, diplomats, and representatives of civil society to analyze the 2025 elections and to identify lessons and priorities for future elections. The event, organized under the auspices of the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (CCFFE), provided a framework for reflection on how legislation, institutions, and political actors functioned in practice.

The post Moldova can organize free elections under difficult conditions, findings at the Electoral Forum appeared first on ipn.md.

“The aim of the research was to identify the factors that weaken the democratic and informational system in Moldova, and the analysis was conducted on five major blocks, which encompass all the areas that can be affected,” explained Petru Culeac, a member of Adept and one of the authors of the study.

The study “Mapping the premises and incentives of FIMI in the electoral context in the Republic of Moldova” has elucidated that the transparency of legislation regarding party financing remains limited, and the control authorities, such as the Central Electoral Commission and the National Integrity Agency, do not have sufficient tools to verify the origin of the declared funds. Many resources are masked through small donations, foundations or public associations.

“I thought we knew and had seen it all, but in 2023 came innovations in electoral corruption, through the introduction of new technologies,” commented the director of ADEPT, Igor Botan.

According to the study, some political formations have been identified with indirect external sources of funding, concealed through NGOs, advertising contracts, or repeated donations from the same donors in the regional business environment, especially in the south and north of the country.

The report also mentions that only 20% of the monitored media institutions adhere to the standards of editorial balance during the election period.

The authors of the study recommend modernizing the legal framework regarding the control of party financing, real-time publication of electoral donations, as well as interconnecting tax databases to verify financial sources.

The post Informal financing of parties – a widespread practice in Moldova, ADEPT study appeared first on ipn.md.

“The number of voters who turned out for the election is higher than in the previous ones. 1.6 million citizens of the Republic of Moldova came to the polling stations. On election day, the situation was relatively calm. There were no major incidents. There were deviations from the electoral norms, but they are within acceptable limits,” explained Igor Boțan, the director of the Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT.

The expert referred to the Home Democracy Party, led by Vasile Costiuc, which has passed the electoral threshold of 5% and has gained access to Parliament. In Boțan’s opinion, the success of this party demonstrates a change in the way citizens relate to politics and information sources.

“An important aspect of these elections is the role of social networks. For the first time, we have in the elections a party that has crossed the electoral threshold and will have representation in Parliament, which campaigned exclusively on social networks. It ignored the mainstream press, television, radio, did not participate in debates, but despite this, it surprisingly managed to have almost homogeneous support across the entire territory of the Republic of Moldova, with the exception of the city of Chisinau. This party also managed to attract the sympathy of a significant number of citizens abroad,” said Igor Boțan.

Igor Boțan drew attention to a dangerous phenomenon: the use of hate speech and intolerance in the electoral campaign. According to him, the online environment provides a space for such deviations. “What saddens me is that the message of hate, intolerance, was specifically spread on social networks. This shows us that there is a migration to networks, where participants hide in bubbles and are under the cover of anonymity. There they allow themselves reprehensible things,” Igor Botan pointed out.

The interview on the topic “How we worked in the elections, what do we do next?” takes place within the project “Developing political culture in public debates”, implemented by the IPN Press Agency and supported by the German Foundation “Hanns Seidel”.

The post For the first time, we have in Parliament a party that has campaigned solely on networks,expert appeared first on ipn.md.

According to Igor Botan, the strength of PAS is not found in its leaders, but exclusively in the authority of President Maia Sandu, which raises questions about the long-term political sustainability of the party.

“In my opinion, the ruling party deserves to be blamed, because this party, from my point of view, is very weak. This party relies on the authority of the lady president. The leaders of this party have a rating, in open-ended questions, of less than 1%, and such a party is not a structure that can have a future. This party very accurately reflects the political culture that the citizens of the Republic of Moldova have”, explained the director of the Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT, Igor Botan.

According to the expert, the current government is reverting to the model of the Communist Party from the era of Vladimir Voronin, when the entire political weight was concentrated around the leader.

“When Vladimir Voronin was in power, he was the leader of the Communist Party, the others were passengers in the wagon pulled by Vladimir Voronin. At that time, the Parliament became a voting machine, and the Government an exemplary executor. The same thing is happening with the current ruling party. From the point of view of the Constitution, the norms are respected, but in fact, we understand that the strategic decisions are adopted by Maia Sandu. She repeats the experience of Vladimir Voronin and the experience of Igor Dodon, who declared himself the informal leader of the PSDM immediately after the Constitutional Court adopted the decision prohibiting the head of state from being a party member”, Igor Botan further stated.

At the same time, the expert believes that PAS fails to fulfill even the classic role of a governing party, given that its communication with society is weak and debates are avoided. “PAS is a voting machine that communicates poorly with citizens and does not justify this title of governing party. It is a party weak in debates, weak in communication with citizens. We, the citizens, are waiting for solutions”, Igor Botan pointed out.

The interview on the topic “How we worked in the elections, what do we do next?” takes place within the project “Development of political culture in public debates”, implemented by the IPN Press Agency and supported by the German Foundation “Hanns Seidel”.

The post Igor Botan: PAS is a weak party that relies on the authority of Maia Sandu appeared first on ipn.md.

According to Igor Botan, there are 66 registered political parties in the Republic of Moldova, but only a third of them are active. The effectiveness of these parties, in the expert’s opinion, is measured in local elections, where the organizational strength of the formation is tested.

“In 2020, the Constitutional Court adopted a resolution on the liberalization of the registration of political parties. Consequently, from 2020 until now, in five years, the number of political parties has increased by 40%. From 45 to 66 parties. Out of the 66 parties, only 1/3 are active, and their organizational strength is seen in the local elections. Local elections are the main arena where political parties manifest themselves. Out of 1/3 of the parties, only 10 parties have potential that manifests itself in local elections and it is manifested by the number of candidates that parties register for the position of mayor and local/regional councilor. At this stage, we realize that the parties are weak, unfortunately”, explained the director of the Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT, Igor Botan.

After the test of local elections, comes the one of the parliamentary elections, and the lack of territorial structures becomes a major obstacle for many of the formations, says the expert. “After the local elections, where we check the potential of the parties, come the parliamentary elections, when more parties wanted to register, but only half were admitted. What can be the hopes of a party that does not have structures in the territory? We understand from the start that these parties have no chance”, said Igor Botan.

In this context, the authorities have introduced new regulations to ensure greater transparency and to prevent the emergence of “camouflaged” political entities. According to expert Igor Botan, only parties that demonstrate organizational capacity and a real connection with the citizens can hope for relevance on the political stage.

“Because the number of parties has grown dramatically, it is important to take measures so that the electoral competition includes parties that have something to say to the citizens and that resonate with them. Therefore, there have been changes that stipulate that parties are obliged to have a registry of their own members, who are dues payers, and these members should be in the ASP registry, so we don’t have surprises with the formation of camouflaged blocks”, explained Igor Botan.

The interview on the topic “How we worked in the elections, what do we do next?” takes place within the project “Development of political culture in public debates”, implemented by the IPN Press Agency and supported by the German Foundation “Hanns Seidel”.

The post Igor Botan: The number of political parties has increased by 40% in five years appeared first on ipn.md.