2014 Moldovan parliamentary election


Parliamentary elections were held in Moldova on 30 November 2014. The result was described as "more a loss than a victory" of the incumbent pro-European coalition, with center-right parties divided by sharp tensions. The pro-Russian Party of Socialists, composed of former communists, emerged as the largest party in Parliament, gaining 20.51% of votes and winning 25 of the 101 seats. The Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova, previously the largest party, dropped from 38 to 21 seats.

Electoral system

The 101 members of Parliament were elected by party-list proportional representation in a single nationwide constituency. There were four separate electoral thresholds: 9 percent for electoral blocs with three or more parties, 7 percent for two-party electoral blocs, 4 percent for single parties or organisations, and 2 percent for independent candidates.
Documents for registration of electoral candidates had to be submitted to the Central Electoral Commission between 3 and 30 October 2014. Once formally registered by the CEC, the candidates were allowed to begin campaigning.
Voter turnout had to be over 33 percent for the election to be validated.

Campaign

A total of 41 parties registered at the Ministry of Justice by the 15 September deadline, but the final ballot included 19 parties, one bloc, and four independent candidates.
The main dividing line between the parties was foreign policy, setting the pro-European Union parties against those supporting rapprochement with the then incoming Eurasian Economic Union and the Russian Federation. The PSRM was the most radical by offering to cancel the agreement on political association and the free trade zone with the EU, and was openly supported by Russia. The leader of the party, Igor Dodon, publicly met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.

Participating

In total, the Central Electoral Commission registered 25 participants in the election :
No.Party or independent candidate's nameCandidate list accepted by the
Central Electoral Commission on
1Democratic Party of Moldova10 October 2014
2Christian-Democratic People's Party10 October 2014
3Force of the People Party10 October 2014
4Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova10 October 2014
5Liberal Reformist Party10 October 2014
6Communist Reformist Party of Moldova10 October 2014
7Popular Movement Anti-Mafia Party10 October 2014
8National Liberal Party10 October 2014
9Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova10 October 2014
10'Moldova’s Choice — the Customs Union' Electoral Bloc10 October 2014
11'Democracy at Home' Political Party10 October 2014
12People's Party of Moldova10 October 2014
13Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova10 October 2014
14Liberal Party10 October 2014
15Revival Party10 October 2014
16Homeland Party13 October 2014
17Democratic Action Party27 October 2014
18Ecologist Green Party28 October 2014
19Equality Movement29 October 2014
20Oleg Cernei29 October 2014
21Oleg Brega3 November 2014
22'Patriots of Moldova' Party3 November 2014
23Valeriu Pleșca6 November 2014
24Anatolie Doga7 November 2014
25Centrist Union of Moldova6 November 2014
26For Nation and Country Party6 November 2014

Withdrawn

The candidate list of the Republican Socio-Political Movement Equality was accepted by the Central Electoral Commission on 29 October 2014; however, the party later decided to withdraw from the election. On 22 November 2014, the CEC announced that it had accepted the withdrawal.
The Homeland Party was declared withdrawn from the election by the Chișinău Court of Appeal on 27 November 2014, for having used foreign financial resources during the campaign. Because ballot papers had already been printed, it was too late to remove the party's name. Instead, a stamp marked "withdrawn" was applied next to the party's name. The Supreme Court of Justice of Moldova rejected the party's appeal on 29 November 2014.

Opinion polls

Results