Russia’s gas subsidy – a key ingredient enabling Transnistria’s political economy – may remain in place for a couple more years, but its existence is based on increasingly shaky grounds. Chișinău is ensuring its own energy security, but long term stability in Moldova requires solid arrangements also for Tiraspol
A media analysis of Transnistria’s main news agency and TV station shows just how insistently local media and politicians talk about being “under blockade”. The expression is exceedingly dramatic. But Chișinău should do more to allay immediate and pragmatic concerns of local residents
The first Moldova Reintegration Forum has been a new occasion to debate some of the issues that for many years have shaped the protracted conflict with Transnistria. In the changing regional context, however, old issues emerge under a different light, opening a window of opportunity for moving forward
A newly-published book explores the circumstances around the violence that accompanied Transnistria’s de facto secession from Moldova. Three decades later, finding new answers to old conundrums is key to preventing ongoing tensions from escalating
A large share of Transnistria’s economy, including most of its budget, depends on a structural subsidy it receives from Russia in the form of free gas. As Ukraine has promised to stop all Russian pipelines going through its territory by the end of 2024, how will Transnistria cope?
About 100,000 refugees fleeing from Ukraine to Europe are estimated to be Roma. They are particularly vulnerable, and yet appear to suffer from discrimination in at least some European countries, such as Czechia and Moldova
Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova have officially applied to join the European Union. The first reactions have been positive, but it will be a long process: in the meantime, however, the enlargement of the EU could finally get going again, and some novel solutions could be tested
Moldova is undergoing a radical reform of the psychiatric care system. The country is transitioning from the old model of psychiatric assistance to a new system, based on the establishment of so-called "community medical centres". A reportage
From Cricova's mysterious tunnels to the small wineries of Gagauzia, the Republic of Moldova aims to become an alternative to mass tourism destination thanks to hospitality traditions and the millenary cultural and historical heritage. The ace up its sleeve? Viticulture
We have analysed Transnistrian online media 18 months after Vadim Krasnoselski came to power. We found clear evidence of selective removal of “unpleasant” old news items, but no evidence of mass dismissal of journalists
They mostly come from the Romanian region of Moldova, and since the early 2000s they have migrated to Sardinia, where they are employed in the agro-pastoral sector. A phenomenon analysed by anthropologist Sergio Contu
Defeated in the 2016 presidential runoff, Maia Sandu has not left politics. She has recently visited Italy for a series of meetings with the diaspora. Here she speaks about her vision on Moldova
A conversation with two women, Valentina Borug and Victoria Apostol, on their strategies to lead the way in the debate on feminism and gender issues in Moldova
Nadine Gogu heads a centre in support of independent journalism in the country. She tells us about media oligarchs, Russian propaganda, and the future of online information
All Moldovan prison facilities still date back to the Soviet era, with poor conditions for prisoners. And yet something is moving to reform the system. A reportage
Despite the local ecclesiastical institutions' disapproval, in the Monastery of Saharna, a hundred kilometres from the Moldovan capital Chişinau, mass exorcism rites are taking place
In Chişinău, a tiny Jewish community tries to save its history from oblivion. Half of the ancient capital of Bessarabia used to be inhabited by Jews. One day, in April 1903, the nightmare of pogroms started. Before the Nazis, even before the Shoah, it was in this forgotten city that the century of hatred began
It might be one page, one paragraph, or just two lines. But the importance of including child protection in EU’s Association Agreements cannot be overestimated
The Association Agreements initialled by Moldova and Georgia in Vilnius are not identical. There may be very good reasons for the differences, but some are more difficult to explain than other
Law in Moldova mandates that children be vaccinated in order to be accepted into kindergarten. Many parents disagree. A law change is being proposed in parliament to make vaccination optional
In 2012, José Barroso and Angela Merkel visited Moldova. These high-level visits raised hopes that Moldovan citizens will be granted visa-free travel in the EU by 2014. Still, a Russian proposal to include Moldova in its own customs union keeps public opinion divided in the country
Psychiatric patients in Moldova are often forced into huge facilities, where freedom is restricted more than is necessary and the sick are vulnerable to abuses. A report by our correspondent
Valeriu Lazar, 40, Minister of the Economy and Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova since 2009, took office in the middle of the economic crisis and is one of the government's leading figures. In this interview, he talks about Moldova's response to the crisis, its model of development, and its investment opportunities
After 20 years of Igor Smirnov's authoritarian rule in this de facto independent territory within the internationally recognised borders of Moldova, Yevgeny Shevchuk became the new head of Transnistria. Over 200,000 citizens showed up at elections to vote against Smirnov, who had a falling out with Russia over allegations of financial frauds
The Republic of Moldova's 20th Birthday. The celebrations, organized by the Government of Chişinău, involved a military parade and a get together of the five Presidents elected in these last twenty years. The current picture is not the most positive: the country remains bogged down in the Transnistria territorial dispute and its European perspectives are still fragile
The LGBT community in Moldova faces discrimination in hospitals and in the workplace. According to a survey, only 2% of Moldovans would welcome having a gay or lesbian as a family member, colleague or friend. Transsexuals have problems obtaining new ID cards and have to struggle to overcome discrimination. A feature story
Countries included in the European Neighbourhood Policy, like the three republics of the South Caucasus and Moldova, are unlikely to join the EU any time soon. Still, according to different rankings, their performance is not so different from that of current candidate countries Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYROM) at the time those countries were granted candidate status (2004-2005)
