The Electoral Code could be amended so that political parties represented in the most recent legislature, parties that obtained at least 5% of the vote in the most recent general local elections (Level 1 and Level 2 local councils), and member parties of electoral blocs that received at least 8% in the most recent general local elections (Level 1 and Level 2 local councils) would be allowed to participate in parliamentary elections without the obligation to collect signatures. All other parties wishing to contest parliamentary elections would be required to collect at least 7,500 voter signatures in support of their participation. The proposal was put forward by the Association for Participatory Democracy (ADEPT) and presented during the public dialogue “Adjusting the Legislation on Political Parties in the Republic of Moldova,” reports TRIBUNA.

According to the Association, political parties’ right to compete in elections should be subject to clearly defined and rigorous criteria aimed at ensuring continuity of political activity and engagement, preventing the acquisition or instrumentalization of inactive (“dormant”) parties, and providing voters with credible and viable political alternatives. To this end, ADEPT proposes introducing eligibility criteria for electoral participation that reward genuine political activity while discouraging inactive or instrumentalized parties.

“Introducing minimum eligibility criteria for participation in elections is necessary to ensure that political pluralism is genuine. The Venice Commission has explicitly recognized that states may impose reasonable requirements for electoral participation, provided they are proportionate, non-discriminatory, and pursue a legitimate democratic objective. The absence of any such criteria, as is currently the case under Moldovan legislation, creates the opposite paradox: an overcrowded electoral landscape filled with parties lacking real public support, artificially fragmenting the political offering and confusing voters without adding genuine democratic value,” the experts emphasized.

ADEPT noted that exempting parliamentary parties and parties with local representation from the signature collection requirement reflects a principle widely recognized in European practice: parties that already hold an active democratic mandate granted by citizens in previous elections should not have to prove their relevance again in order to compete. This approach is followed in numerous EU member states—including Germany, Austria, Belgium, Slovenia, Luxembourg, and others—which exempt parliamentary parties from signature requirements or impose them only on parties without parliamentary representation. According to ADEPT, the proposed solution is among the most moderate and widely adopted in Europe.

“The requirement to collect 7,500 signatures for all other parties serves as a mechanism to verify a party’s organizational vitality and its genuine connection with the citizens it claims to represent. The Venice Commission has acknowledged that signature collection requirements are compatible with democratic standards when the thresholds are reasonable and non-discriminatory, as they serve the legitimate purpose of discouraging purely formal electoral participation by organizations lacking real public support.

The threshold of 7,500 signatures is modest by European standards—comparable to Denmark and significantly lower than national thresholds in Italy (36,000), Spain (37,500), or Romania (97,500). It therefore does not constitute an excessive restriction on the rights to freedom of association and political participation but rather represents a minimal and proportionate filter of democratic relevance. Currently, all candidates for the office of President of the Republic of Moldova must submit signature lists containing the signatures of at least 15,000 and no more than 25,000 voters in order to be registered by the Central Electoral Commission,” the experts added.

It should be noted that these proposals are included in the document “Proposals for Adjusting the Electoral Legislation and Related Legislation of the Republic of Moldova.” The document is a package of legislative recommendations prepared by the Association for Participatory Democracy (ADEPT) in cooperation with international experts from UNDP and International IDEA. It proposes amendments to the Law on Political Parties No. 294/2007, the Electoral Code No. 325/2022, and the Contravention Code No. 218/2008.