Political parties and Russia’s escalation of the war in Ukraine: consequences for left-wing parties in Moldova

Abstract

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 had a significant impact on Moldova, particularly due to its geographic proximity to Ukraine. Although Moldova has long balanced relationships between Russia and the European Union, the war prompted a re-evaluation of its geopolitical stance. In order to better understand domestic political party contestation of foreign policies, this article analyses Moldovan parliamentary debates between February 2022 and December 2023. The analysis focuses on the arguments used by members of the left-wing political parties that had previously adopted a more pro-Russian stance for the country’s foreign policy. The findings show reduced political contestation after Russia’s full-scale invasion with the left-wing parties, avoiding articulating clear positions on Russia’s war in Ukraine. Compared to the clear stance of the ruling PAS party, the opposition parties were inconsistent in their views on Russia and the EU, often ambiguous about Russia and divided on EU integration.