Moldova’s governing Action and Solidarity party has decided to keep on the Parliament’s agenda a set of draft measures that would withdraw the country from several agreements within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). According to reports, the party rejected a request from the opposition Bloc of Communists and Socialists to remove this topic from consideration. The Parliament is weighing multiple projects aimed at withdrawing from CIS agreements, with a particular focus on terminating the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly agreement that the bloc views as a key link to regional collaboration. At the same time, the opposition warns that severing ties with the CIS could carry negative consequences for Moldova, urging that existing agreements be preserved to avoid disruptions in security, trade, and diplomatic channels.
The shift in Moldova’s stance toward the CIS emerges after Maia Sandu, who leads the pro-Western Action and Solidarity party, won the 2020 presidential election. A year later, her party secured a parliamentary majority following early elections and pushed forward a policy course that leans toward closer integration with European institutions and the United States. Sandu has not attended a CIS summit in her three years in office, and she has repeatedly highlighted concerns about Russian pressure and Moldova’s vulnerability to disruption in relations with the organization. The broader political conversation in Moldova now centers on the balance between regional partnerships and Western alignment, with debates reflecting differing visions for national security, economic resilience, and democratic governance.
Historically, public opinion in Moldova showed substantial skepticism about leaving the CIS, with more than half of residents expressing reservations before recent political developments. The current debates capture a hinge moment for the country as it navigates the competing priorities of maintaining regional ties and pursuing a more ambitious track of European reform and transatlantic cooperation. Observers note that the outcome of these parliamentary deliberations could influence Moldova’s external posture, economic strategy, and the pace at which it aligns with the EU and the United States, while also shaping how neighbors in the region respond to Moldova’s evolving foreign policy stance.