The incumbent government demonstrates commitment to European integration and continues to fight corruption actively, freedomhouse representatives believe. According to them, the anti-corruption rating increased from 2.25 to 2.50 due to the actions of law-enforcement bodies to counter the illegal financing of parties by Ilan Shor’s group, which the authorities consider a “criminal group.”
Moldova continued to be governed by a stable parliamentary majority led by the Party of Action and Solidarity, steadfast in its commitment to Western principles and actively pursuing reforms to advance European integration. Throughout 2023, support from the European Union (EU) and other Western allies played a crucial role in enabling the government to navigate security challenges and external pressures, maintain domestic legitimacy, and address obstacles in implementing reform initiatives.
The decision in December to initiate accession negotiations with the EU, following the attainment of candidate country status in June 2022, heralds fresh avenues for Moldova’s reform agenda and transformative efforts. Moreover, the EU launched a new Civilian Mission for Partnership in Moldova, with a key focus on bolstering crisis management capabilities and fortifying resilience against hybrid threats, further underlining the commitment to Moldova’s stability and development.
“Corruption rating improved from 2.25 to 2.50 due to law enforcement actions countering illegal party financing by the Ilan Shor group, which is considered to be a “criminal group” by the authorities,” the publication reported.
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On January 15, the Chisinau Court of Appeal made revisions to the restrictions imposed on Marina Tauber, who was then serving as the deputy chair of the Shor Party. These revisions led to the lifting of her house arrest and her release under judicial supervision. Tauber had been under investigation since 2022, facing allegations related to accepting funds from an organized crime syndicate and falsifying financial reports submitted to the Central Electoral Commission.
According to investigations conducted by the National Anticorruption Center, the Shor Party incurred expenses totaling 600,000 euros ($668,000) in the first half of 2022. However, the party had only reported 228,000 lei ($12,500), arousing suspicions of financial irregularities and potential discrepancies in its financial disclosures. On May 1, as she attempted to travel to Israel, Tauber was once again detained at the request of the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office.
Subsequently, on May 16, in anticipation of the runoff in the executive elections of Gagauzia, anticorruption authorities conducted surprise searches at the Central Electoral Committee of Gagauzia on allegations of corruption. Simultaneously, Moldova’s Central Electoral Commission (CEC) revealed that three days prior, it had initiated proceedings against eight candidates in the Gagauz elections for accepting donations surpassing the legal limit of 11,700 lei per donor, with a total of 106 donors contributing across all candidates. Although the central CEC had notified Gagauzia’s separate CEC of these violations, no action had been taken. In July, the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office announced that Eugenia Gutsul had been designated as an accused party in the investigation concerning illegal financing by the Shor Party.