Moldova - 61.71
66
The Romanian conundrum
Moldova is a generally bog standard and wholly uninteresting country save for the fact that part of it has declared independence. Transnistria, a breakaway region in the country’s East that longs for the good ol’ days of the Soviet Union, is a major thorn in Moldova’s side, bringing Russian troops straight to their doorstep. Asides from its struggles with a breakaway region, Moldova is highly similar to its neighbor and cultural cousin, Romania. The two countries share a political and cultural identity, along with their largest ethnic group. Thus, many of the problems of Romania are the problems of Moldova. A relatively unhealthy country by the standards of the European Union plagued by endemic corruption on a comparable level to Jamaica or El Salvador. Moldova faces additional problems, largely stemming from the breakaway region of Transnistria.
Human Rights - 68
Moldova has fully abolished the death penalty. Moldova faces several credible, pending allegations of torture in custody. A trial of thirteen men accused of torturing a man to death is ongoing. Prison conditions are poor and prisons lacked adequate access to sanitation or medical facilities. Bail was almost never issued, despite theoretically being available. Authorities repeatedly used trumped-up charges to detain political prisoners. Guilty verdicts were repeatedly handed down in cases involving faulty evidence and defendants were sometimes denied access to lawyers during trial proceedings. Property restitution in Moldova has favored ethnic Romanians, and ethnic minorities have struggled to reclaim property confiscated during the country’s communist regime. The Moldovan government maintains an extensive surveillance network and government critics could reliably expect to be surveilled by the government. Being transgender is considered a medical disorder in Moldova and trans Moldovans can change their legal gender with a medical diagnosis. Trans Moldovans cannot serve openly. Same-sex marriage is constitutionally banned in Moldova. Abortion is legal to twelve weeks with parental authorization required when applicable.
Democracy - 61
The president is directly elected while the prime minister is nominated by the president and approved by parliament. Parliament is directly elected. Elections noted several irregularities. Allegations of irregularities in the first round of presidential elections were not investigated and public employees were pressured to vote for incumbents. Instances of vote-buying and misuse of public funds were common in parliamentary elections. Moldova has a decent multi-party system but relatively stringent regulations on party formation favor existing parties. Oligarchs exert a significant sway over politics.
Freedom - 65
Authorities have repeatedly used trumped-up charges to detain political prisoners. Guilty verdicts were repeatedly handed down in cases involving faulty evidence and defendants were sometimes denied access to lawyers during trial proceedings. The Moldovan government maintains an extensive surveillance network and government critics could reliably expect to be surveilled by the government. Almost all domestic media outlets in Moldova have ties to the government and there is very little impartial media coverage in Moldova. The Moldovan Orthodox Church is granted preferential treatment over other religious denominations, despite Moldova having no official religion. Protests are sometimes dispersed with excessive force. Moldova has a strictly enforced drug policy. All drugs are illegal with steep and strictly enforced penalties. Moldova shall issue gun ownership permits for semi-automatic handguns and rifles.
Economy - 82
Health - 53
Moldova has a life expectancy of 72 years and an infant mortality rate of 1.24%. 18.9% of Moldovans are obese and 4% are malnourished. Moldova’s universal healthcare scheme offers high-quality care in major cities but it has not been updated since the Soviet era in some places. 82.1% of Moldovans have access to clean, running water. Moldova has minor problems with TB and HIV/AIDS. 25.3% of adult Moldovans smoke regularly.
Corruption - 23
The judicial system is highly corrupt, with judicial verdicts bought and sold at many levels and all levels subject to political pressure. Police extortion is very common. Public services must be bribed into action. Moldova’s tax administration is highly corrupt, frequently demanding bribes. Tax fraud is very easy to get away with in Moldova. Moldova’s customs administration frequently demands bribes during the import/export process. Public contracts are impossible to obtain without corruption. Public funds are frequently misused during campaigns.
Competency - 43
The government is failing to control corruption, which remains rampant. The large breakaway region of Transnistria controls the area between the Dnister River and the Ukrainian border. Transnistria is unrecognized by any UN member state but lays a de facto claim to the land. Moldova is not in control of the land in any capacity. Moldova received a ten-point penalty for large areas of their de jure territory being under the de facto control of a third party.
Future - 76
Moldova has made an excellent recovery from the Soviet era, and has recently made a number of electoral reforms.
Actions Abroad - 60
Moldova claims the de facto nation of Transnistria. Moldova is largely isolationist and maintains good relations with most nations, generally not pursuing an activist foreign policy. Moldova received a ten point penalty for laying claim to a de facto nation.
0.1% of Moldovans live below the international poverty line and 23% live below the national poverty line. 4.71% of Moldovans are unemployed. Moldova has some of the lowest economic disparity in the world. The minimum wage in Moldova is $96 per month. Moldova has a decent universal healthcare system, offering high-quality care in major cities. However, in some parts of the country, it has not been updated since the Soviet era. The Moldovan economy shrunk 7% in 2020 and grew 3.6% in 2019.