A Bad Bet for Judicial Vetting
In 2022, Moldova launched an ambitious judicial vetting process to fight corruption in the justice system. To that end, it created special commissions tasked with reviewing the integrity of members of judicial self-governing bodies, as well as senior judges and prosecutors. Because such bodies exercise far-reaching powers over judicial careers and discipline, their own independence is crucial. This independence is now at stake: the ruling majority in Parliament lowered the threshold for appointing members to a simple majority – thereby risking the legitimacy of the vetting process itself.
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Three Takeaways from the Nearly Failed EU Referendum in Moldova
Moldova’s accelerated path towards the European Union nearly came to an abrupt halt. On 20 October 2024, the people of Moldova participated in a referendum asking whether they "support amending the Constitution with a view to Moldova's accession to the European Union". While massive Russian interference in the election process is evident (though the full proportion remains yet to be investigated), it would be too short-sighted and also dangerous for Moldova’s future path towards the EU to attribute the outcome of the referendum solely to external interference.
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