The political year 2022 was marked by antigovernment protests and by the obtaining of the EU candidate country status. The political events in 2022 were influenced by the war in Ukraine and by the economic and social impact of this. A number of political organizations emerged on the political arena in Chisinau in 2022, among which is the Coalition for Unity and Welfare led by Moldova’s former Ambassador to the U.S. Igor Munteanu and the National Alternative Movement headed by the mayor of Chisinau Ion Ceban.
Russia’s war against Ukraine launched on February 24 made the whole Moldovan political class to unite and a nationwide state of emergency was declared by the votes of the MPs of the government and the opposition the same day.
Also, President Maia Sandu on February 25 invited representatives of the extraparliamentary opposition to the Presidential Palace and common actions for all the national political forces were agreed to ensure the unity and security of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova and to cope with the massive inflow of Ukrainian refugees who started to cross Moldova’s borders.
At internal level, a new administration of the Party “Dignity and Truth Platform” was elected in the party’s congress held in May. Kiril Moțpan and Dinu Plîngău competed for the post of chairman. The elections were won by Plîngău with 163 votes, while Moțpan gained 151 votes. Later, the party launched a new brand – the blue color – and elected the members of the National Political Bureau.
The summer of 2022 was marked by events that brought Moldova in the focus of international public attention. On June 23, the European Council decided to grant the EU candidate status to the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine and recognized the European perspective of Georgia which is to obtain the candidate status when the Georgian authorities implement a number of overdue measures.
The year was also marked by large-scale antigovernment protests. Members and sympathizers of the Shor Party staged tens of protests in central Chisinau “against poverty and crises” in the country, demanding that the government should renegotiate the contract with Gazprom and should improve the quality of life. The protesters sought the resignation of President Maia Sandu and of the government and the calling of snap parliamentary and presidential elections.
In the autumn of 2022, eight opposition political parties of Moldova created the platform Common Agenda as a factory of political ideas and common projects – from legislative initiatives to common protests and nationwide discussions. The parliamentary and extraparliamentary parties set the goal of providing solutions to the problems experienced by society and of warning the development partners about the government’s abuses.
In November 2022, a new pro-European party was launched in the Republic of Moldova: the Coalition for Unity and Welfare (CUB), which is led by the former ambassador of Moldova in Washington Igor Munteanu. The new party claims to be a center-right one and aims to ensure Moldova’s economic development and the country’s entry into the EU in 2030.
The list of parties of the Republic of Moldova was extended together with the appearance of the National Alternativa Movement. Mayor of Chisinau Ion Ceban was elected chairman by a unanimous vote in the first congress of the party on December 21. The political organization hasn’t been yet officially registered as a party.
