TRIBUNA continues its retrospective series highlighting the political events that took place exactly one year ago. This edition looks back at 4 August 2025.

Prosecutors’ Announcement

The Prosecutor’s Office announced that MP Marina Tauber, who was in Moscow at the time, would receive the verdict in her criminal case on 30 September 2025. Prosecutors requested a 13-year prison sentence.

Tauber was charged on five counts, including falsifying reports on political party and election campaign financing, accepting illegal funding from an organized criminal group, and interfering with the administration of justice.

CUB’s Statement

The Coalition for Unity and Well-being (CUB) issued a statement arguing that the government’s failure to maintain effective relations with the United States was closing the U.S. market to Moldovan exporters.

According to the party, the 25% tariffs would severely affect sectors that had previously received USAID support to export to the United States.

Meetings with Kelly Keiderling

Prime Minister Dorin Recean met with Kelly Keiderling, Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, on the occasion of the completion of her mandate.

The discussions focused on the OSCE Mission’s role in supporting dialogue between Chișinău and Tiraspol, developments in the reintegration process, and the regional situation at the time.

Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Roman Roșca also held a meeting with Ambassador Keiderling.

New Applications Submitted to the Central Election Commission

During the day, the Central Election Commission (CEC) received one application from a political party to register its list of parliamentary candidates, as well as applications from three prospective independent candidates.

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) submitted a list of 54 candidates. The CEC assigned the party the provisional fifth position on the ballot.

Applications to obtain signature collection sheets were also submitted by Uliana Bideac, Tatiana Crețu, and Igor Ianac.

AUR Election Headquarters Meeting

The central election headquarters of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) held a meeting in Chișinău to discuss the party’s participation in the 28 September 2025 parliamentary elections.

Political Party Audits Completed

The Central Election Commission announced that it had published reports on comprehensive financial audits of several electoral competitors, including the Future of Moldova Party, the Renaissance Party, the Force of Alternative and Salvation of Moldova Party, the Chance Party, the Victory Party, and the initiative group and presidential campaign of independent candidate Victoria Furtună.

The audits covered activities carried out between 1 July and 31 October 2024. The reports were to be reviewed and approved by the CEC.

Parliamentary Activity Figures Released

According to official data, Moldova’s 11th Legislature held 172 plenary sittings, totaling nearly 1,100 hours.

Between 2021 and 2025, Parliament held 160 regular plenary sittings, 11 extraordinary sittings, and one special sitting.

During its term, Parliament adopted 1,589 legal acts, including 1,149 laws and 440 parliamentary resolutions.

Ion Ceban’s Criticism

Chișinău Mayor and leader of the National Alternative Movement (MAN), Ion Ceban, stated during the City Hall’s weekly meeting that the four years of PAS governance had been “four years of lies.”

He also accused the government of repeatedly targeting him and his political colleagues.

PSDE President’s Donation

Tudor Ulianovschi, President of the European Social Democratic Party (PSDE), attended the patron saint celebration in the town of Bucovăț, Strășeni District.

During the event, he donated school backpacks to local children preparing to enter the first grade.

Information from the Bureau for Reintegration Policies

The Bureau for Reintegration Policies reported that between 2006 and 2024, the Transnistrian region had undergone a major shift in its trade orientation, reducing its dependence on Russia while strengthening integration with the European Union market.

Exports to Russia declined from a peak of €252.9 million in 2008 to €21.1 million in 2024, while exports to the EU increased significantly, making the European Union the region’s principal trading partner.

Communist Party Decision

The Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM) held a meeting of its Central Committee and decided to propose joining the Patriotic Bloc, while requesting changes to the bloc’s name and symbol.

Iurie Reniță’s Decision

Former MP Iurie Reniță revealed that he had received several proposals to run as an independent candidate in the parliamentary elections but ultimately decided not to enter the race in light of the political and electoral context.

Liberal Party Announcement

The Liberal Party (PL) reiterated its preference for participating in the parliamentary elections as part of an electoral bloc but announced that it would run independently if such a bloc could not be established.

Chișinău Airport Expansion Announced

The management of Eugen Doga Chișinău International Airport announced a passenger terminal expansion project worth more than 700 million lei, to be financed entirely from the airport’s own revenues.

Construction was scheduled to begin in 2025 and be completed by the end of 2026.

ANRE Decision

The Board of the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) approved the withdrawal of Moldovagaz’s natural gas supply license.

According to ANRE, the decision marked the completion of the authorities’ long-term efforts to ensure the unbundling and independence of Moldova’s natural gas transmission infrastructure.

Moldovagaz acknowledged the decision, under which Energocom would assume public service obligations and supplier-of-last-resort responsibilities beginning 1 September 2025.

New Vote-Buying Scheme Identified

Police announced that they were investigating a new scheme involving illegal political financing and vote-buying allegedly coordinated from the Russian Federation through the Taito application.

According to investigators, participants were promised tens of thousands of lei per month for taking part in illegal activities but ultimately did not receive the promised payments.

The U.S. Embassy’s Announcement

The U.S. Embassy in the Republic of Moldova announced the arrival of Nick Pietrowicz as Chargé d’Affaires.

A career member of the U.S. Foreign Service, Pietrowicz previously served as a Special Agent with the Diplomatic Security Service, with assignments in Port-au-Prince, Kabul, N’Djamena, Luanda, Canberra, and Sarajevo.

From 2008 to 2011, he served at the U.S. Embassy in Chișinău as Regional Security Officer.

Andrei Năstase’s Remarks

Former Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Năstase welcomed Nick Pietrowicz’s appointment as Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Moldova.

He also argued that the fact that the United States had not appointed a new ambassador more than a year after the departure of Kent Logsdon sent a clear political signal.

Vlad Plahotniuc’s Letter

Former Democratic Party leader Vladimir Plahotniuc published another open letter to citizens criticizing the PAS government over its handling of his extradition proceedings from Greece.

He claimed that the Moldovan authorities were looking for pretexts to delay the extradition process.

PRIM’s Allegations

The Republican Party “Heart of Moldova” (PRIM), led by Irina Vlah, accused President Maia Sandu of making politically motivated false statements during the election campaign.

According to the party, after previously claiming—without presenting evidence—that around 300,000 votes had been manipulated in the presidential election, the President and the Presidential Administration continued to spread what the party described as new falsehoods.

Source: Political Almanac 2025