Protests in Moldova continue

Rallies against the oligarchic regime in Moldova are ongoing. The latest event on Sunday in the center of Chisinau was attended by over 11,000 people. The protesters announced the formation of the National Salvation Council and issued an ultimatum to the authorities.

The conflict

Moldova is a parliamentary republic whose governmental crisis has dragged on since October 2015, whenPrime Minister Vlad Filat, one of the richest men in Moldova, was arrested on charges of corruption. Following the incident, his former coalition partner, oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc, attempted to completely subjugate the government by bribing the majority of mem-bers of parliament and forming a parliamentary majority out of the fragments of existing factions. On January 20, a new government was formed by an extraordinary meeting of parliament, where MPs voted for the government of Plahotniuc’s puppet - Pavel Filip. Opponents of the oligarchy stormed the parliament building in a wave of unrest that accompanied the election

National Salvation Council

The mass protests in Chisinau have since continued. The two forces involved are centered around different geopolitical orientations. The Socialist Party and "Our Party" are inclined to-wards Moscow, while the Civic Platform and "Dignity and Truth" look towards Washington and Brussels.

After a joint rally in Chisinau on January 24, both forces announced the creation of the National Salvation Council. The protesters announced their intention to seek early parliamentary elections in April 2015 and cancel the vote on the government of Filip.

Color revolution or not?

Despite the use of typical color revolution methods, such as "non-violent protests" or the iconic handing out of flowers to police officers, the participation of external forces in the Moldovan pro-tests has so far been minimal. So far, Romania, the United States and the EU support the gov-ernment of Philip, although some media and NGOs associated with the United States are sup-porting "Dignity and Truth." Protests might develop into a color revolution only if the US and its allies decide to fully seize the initiative. Such is quite possible given constant appeals to the West for support that have even been heard from "pro-Russian" forces.

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Protests in Moldova continue