Moldova
Moldova, 1991 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
On 27 August 1991, the Moldavian SSR declared independence and took the name Moldova. The strip of Moldovan territory on the east bank of the Dniester has been under the de facto control of the breakaway government of Transnistria since 1990. The constitution of Moldova was adopted in 1994, and the country became a parliamentary republic. Moldova was granted candidate status in the European Union in June 2022.
Seat of power: Chișinău
Rulers
Mircea Snegur
President of Moldova, 1990–1997
On 27 August 1991, Moldova declared its independence from the Soviet Union and Snegur became the first president of Moldova as an independent state. On 29 June 1994, a new Constitution of Moldova was adopted.
Portrait of Mircea Snegur: Ion Chibzii, CC BY-SA 2.0, file
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Petru Lucinschi
President of Moldova, 1997–2001
Petru Lucinschi was elected Moldova's second president in November 1996. During his presidency, he advocated for close ties with Russia.
Portrait of Petru Lucinschi: U.S. Embassy to Moldova, Public domain, file
Vladimir Voronin
President of Moldova, 2001–2009
Vladimir Voronin was elected as president by the Parliament on 4 April 2001. He was Europe's first democratically elected communist party head of state after the dissolution of the Eastern Bloc.
Portrait of Vladimir Voronin: Parlamentul Republicii Moldova | Pagina oficială, CC0, file
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Mihai Ghimpu
President of Moldova, 2009–2010
On 11 September 2009, he became the acting president of Moldova. The Commission for constitutional reform in Moldova was set up under presidential decree on 1 December 2009.
Portrait of Mihai Ghimpu: Wiki Moldova, Public domain, file
Marian Lupu
President of Moldova, 2010–2012
Marian served as Acting President of Moldova while he was President of the Parliament of Moldova.
Portrait of Marian Lupu: Michał Koziczyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, file
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Vlad Filat
President of Moldova, 2010–2010
He was appointed interim president of Moldova for a brief period of time in 2010.
Nicolae Timofti
President of Moldova, 2012–2016
He was elected President by parliament on 16 March 2012. After his election, he identified Moldova's European orientation as a priority.
Portrait of Nicolae Timofti: Michał Koziczyński, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, file
Igor Dodon
President of Moldova, 2016–2020
Igor Dodon served as the 5th president of Moldova from 2016 to 2020. In 2020 he lost his bid for re-election to Maia Sandu.
Portrait of Igor Dodon: Parlamentul Republicii Moldova | Pagina oficială, CC0, file
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Maia Sandu
President of Moldova, 2020 to today
Maia Sandu was elected president of Moldova during the 2020 Moldovan presidential election. She was re-elected president in the 2024 Moldovan presidential election.
Portrait of Maia Sandu: European Parliament, CC BY 4.0, file
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Culture
- Moldova has more than 142 wineries and the largest wine cellar in the world.
- Every year on 3-4 October, the country celebrates National Wine Day.
- As a country with a deep history of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the country also has more than 50 monasteries and 700 churches.
Picture
The Great National Assembly Square is the central square in Chișinău, the capital of Moldova.
Image: Unknown author, Public domain, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.