force for change in Moldova

Released: 04/11/2024 – 02:56

3 min.

Since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Moldova’s neighbor Ukraine, Sandu has lobbied the West to support her country and hear her concerns that she could become the Kremlin’s next target.

In a tense election battle clouded by fears of Russian interference, Sandu won a second term on Sunday, defeating former prosecutor Alexander Stoianoglo, who was backed by pro-Russian socialists.

As Moldova bids to join the EU in 2022, Sandu, 52, has developed sweeping reforms to combat graft and attract investment.

In moving speeches, she warned that a difficult but rewarding journey awaits one of Europe’s poorest countries, with a population of 2.6 million.

“Moldova’s entry into the European Union is a Marshall Plan,” Sandu said in a speech last month, referring to the economic recovery plan adopted after World War II to rebuild Europe.

“Roller Coaster Ride”

Sandu was born in the village of Risipeni near the Romanian border before Moldova gained independence in 1991. She received a master’s degree in international relations in Chisinau and then a master’s degree in public policy after studying at Harvard University in the United States.

After working at the Ministry of Economy, she worked for more than seven years as an economist in the World Bank office in Chisinau, and then as an adviser to the executive director of that body in Washington.

After two years in Washington, in 2012, she received a “surprise” offer from the Moldovan government to return to become education minister, beginning what she called a “roller-coaster ride” that would see her become the country’s first female president. .

“The resistance to change, the insurmountable problems in the education sector, the hate speech that I faced, all of this made my life very difficult,” she recalled in a speech at Harvard University in 2022, describing how it increased her “resilience.” .

In an effort to rid her country of corruption, Sandu founded her own party in 2016, the center-right Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS).

“Going into politics required a lot of thought and ultimately a leap of faith rather than choosing a different, quiet, comfortable career path,” she said in a speech at Harvard.

She ran for president in 2016 but failed to win. She served as prime minister of Moldova in 2019 and then attempted the presidency again in 2020, this time defeating Moscow-backed incumbent Igor Dodon.

“President for everyone”

Landlocked between Ukraine and EU member Romania, Moldova has long been divided over closer ties to the European Union or maintaining Soviet-era relations with Moscow.

When Sandu was elected president, her promises of integrity and competence resonated with many Moldovans in the wake of political crises and corruption scandals.

Sandu has vowed to maintain balanced ties with the West and Russia, but relations with Moscow have increasingly soured since Russia invaded Ukraine, with Sandu accusing Moscow of interfering in her country’s politics.

According to Armand Gosu, a Romanian historian specializing in the former Soviet Union and Russia, Sandu speaks fluent Romanian, English and Russian. Sandu enjoys “respect and recognition” from international leaders.

Sandu is “a huge opportunity for Moldova,” he said, noting that she was probably the first Moldovan leader “of such an international level.”

Her critics accuse her of lobbying the West while she has failed to tackle the country’s struggling economy and high inflation or push forward judicial reform.

Sandu managed to “unite a large voter base” as well as a “relatively large core of disillusioned people,” Florent Parmentier, a political scientist at Sciences Po in Paris, told AFP.

“The main criticism of her is her ability to listen” to opposing opinions, he said.

In her victory speech on Sunday, Sandu vowed to be “a president for everyone.”

“I heard your voice – both from those who support me and from those who voted differently. Regardless of your voting choice, we all want to live in peace, harmony and have a better life. I assure you that this is my main goal for the coming years,” she said.

© 2024 AFP