Our guest analyst, Dr. Natalia Putină* helps us explore the major fault lines of the current Moldovan party politics by providing an impressive professional insight into the country’s European integration process, geopolitical position, economic situation, as well as legal system. Moldova has been through many crises, and the rather calm and transparent 11 July 2021 ballot took place in an atmosphere of political deadlock. In our discussion, we address the international observers’ concerns over the impartiality of the Moldovan election authorities and over the transparency of campaign contributions. Our guest expert cites the major reforms most Moldovans are asking for, and we also go through the actual political narratives and popular campaign themes that characterized the election process this summer in the deeply polarized Moldovan society.

Through thought-provoking reasoning, Dr. Putină comes to the conclusion that this snap election could be the beginning of a new era in Moldovan parliamentary politics. If you would like to learn the basis of our guest expert’s aforementioned claim, it is time to give a listen to the Moldova edition of the Votes & Seats interview series.

*Dr. Putină serves as an associate professor at the Department of Political and Administrative Sciences at the State University of Moldova. She holds the position of Vice Dean at the Faculty of International Relations, Political Science, and Administrative Studies at the same institution. Dr. Putină is the author of numerous English and Rumanian language academic papers in the fields of ethnic minority and migration policies as well as electoral behavior in the Republic of Moldova and Caucasian states.

Apple Podcast: HERE.