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What is happening in #Moldova is essentially a coup attempt. An interest group that controls most state institutions is attempting a hostile and unlawful takeover of power from a lawfully elected government. This is my understanding of the situation. THREAD.
Yesterday the Moldovan parliament elected Maia Sandu prime minister and adopted a declaration naming Moldova a captured state. Sandu’s ACUM and the pro-Russian Socialist Party (PSRM) vowed to conduct a “de-oligarchisation” program. Read more about it here.
The Constitutional Court, controlled by Vlad Plahotniuc, Moldova’s main oligarch and de facto ruler, annulled the results immediately, arguing that the parliament should have been dissolved, because as of 7 June 90 days had passed since the announcement of election results.
Only Moldova’s constitution never mentions 90 days. It specifies 3 months – see below – which ran out today (9 June). Therefore yesterday’s decisions are constitutional. 
The Constitutional Court, to which Plahotniuc’s PDM party most recently named three new judges last year to replace judges who had resigned w/o explanation, has long since been captured by PDM, as has the Prosecution, the central bank and much of the media.
After invalidating the parliament’s decisions, the court went ahead and named Pavel Filip, until yesterday prime minister and a Plahotniuc ally, interim president to replace Igor Dodon. The PDM has practiced this scenario several times in the past years.
Filip then dissolved the parliament and called for snap elections. ACUM and PSRM deputies refuse to comply and started a plenary session today. PDM started a - so far quite lacklustre - demonstration in Chisinau.
PSRM and ACUM have more supporters in big cities than PDM, but PDM controls the media and much of the countryside. It has loyal judges, local leaders, etc. Plahotniuc who can lose everything, will not give up easily. Things may get out of hand quickly.
Igor Dodon, the staunchly pro-Russian president and de facto PSRM leader who supported yesterday’s decisions, called for international help to “mediate”. It’s not hard to guess whom Dodon has in mind. Spoiler alert: not the EU or the US. ipn.md/en/politica/98…
I’d like to remind everyone of the 1,500 Russian troops in Transnistria, which in August held a military drill simulating an attack on the Dniestr river (essentially, on Moldova). In Armenia last year, Russia did not have a pretext to act. And in Moldova? balkaninsight.com/2018/08/15/rus…
I wonder what the Romanian government, which had supported Plahotniuc for a long time has to say about this, esp given the political realignment taking place in Romania. It is vital for Romania and the EU to act clearly and quickly to prevent the deterioration of the situation
The EU can replicate its actions in North Macedonia where it successfully defused the 2015 political crisis by establishing the facts on the ground and pushing for the establishment of independent institutions. But it must act quickly and give all the support it can to Sandu.
Read also the declaration of the Legal Resources Center in #Moldova: facebook.com/CRJM.org/posts…
PS: meanwhile, Plahotniuc drops the first kompromat on Dodon - a video, in which Dodon appears to speak about financial support he received from #Russia, $700k-1m per month prime.md/ru/igor-dodon-…
PPS: follow @BalazsJarabik on Moldova (and Ukraine and Belarus) too
PPPS: as the second day of the Sandu gvt ends, Moldovan friends report countryside residents being recruited to protest with Plahotniuc in the capital. An opposition TV channel is apparently off the air. And this is probably just the beginning of what Plahotniuc is ready to do
