Geopolitical election of the Republic of Moldova. a study based on the example of the early parliamentary elections (2021)

Abstract

For a long time, the key topic in the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova is the geopolitical choice between West and East, integration with the European Union or with the Russian Federation. This is reflected in the confrontation between political parties, the split of political elites and Moldovan society along geopolitical lines. Furthemore this problem had an outlet not only to the foreign policy of Moldova, but also reflected in the domestic policy of the country. Representatives of the state-forming ethnic group - Moldovans - were more often supporters of European integration, while representatives of ethnic minorities more often identified themselves with an orientation towards Russia. The purpose of this article is to analyze the geopolitical choice of the Republic of Moldova using the example of the early parliamentary elections on July 11, 2021. Taking into account the specifics of the elections, the study is focused on reflecting the problem of geopolitical choice in the electoral platforms of Moldovan electoral competitors. Based on the results of early parliamentary elections and sociological polls, the authors analyze the attitude of the Moldovan population to various geopolitical projects - integration with the European Union or the Eurasian Economic Union. The study showed that in the parliamentary (2021) elections in the Republic of Moldova, the problem of geopolitical choice was not a dominant topic. The idea of combating corruption, reforming justice, which was promoted by the winning Action and Solidarity Party and the President of the Republic of Moldova M. Sandu, became the main idea that determined the victory in the elections and united various ethnic groups. Moldovan public opinion indicates an increase in the number of supporters of integration into the European Union and, accordingly, a decrease in interest in the Customs Union, a Russian geopolitical project.