# 2014 Moldovan parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Moldova on 30 November 2014. The result was described as "more a loss than a victory" of the incumbent pro-European coalition, with center-right parties divided by sharp tensions. The pro-Russian Party of Socialists (PSRM), composed of former communists, emerged as the largest party in Parliament, gaining 20.51% of votes and winning 25 of the 101 seats. The Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM), previously the largest party, dropped from 38 to 21 seats.

## Electoral system

The 101 members of Parliament were elected by party-list proportional representation in a single nationwide constituency. There were four separate electoral thresholds: 9 percent for electoral blocs with three or more parties, 7 percent for two-party electoral blocs, 4 percent for single parties or organisations, and 2 percent for independent candidates.
Documents for registration of electoral candidates had to be submitted to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) between 3 and 30 October 2014. Once formally registered by the CEC, the candidates were allowed to begin campaigning.
Voter turnout had to be over 33 percent for the election to be validated.

## Campaign

A total of 41 parties registered at the Ministry of Justice by the 15 September deadline, but the final ballot included 19 parties, one bloc, and four independent candidates.
The main dividing line between the parties was foreign policy, setting the pro-European Union (EU) parties (the Democratic Party, the Liberal Democratic Party, and the Liberal Party) against those supporting rapprochement with the then incoming Eurasian Economic Union and the Russian Federation (PCRM and PSRM). The PSRM was the most radical by offering to cancel the agreement on political association and the free trade zone with the EU, and was openly supported by Russia. The leader of the party, Igor Dodon, publicly met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.

### Participating

In total, the Central Electoral Commission registered 25 participants in the election (20 political parties, 1 electoral bloc, and 4 independent candidates):
| No. | Party or independent candidate's name | Candidate list accepted by the Central Electoral Commission on |
| 1 | Democratic Party of Moldova | 10 October 2014 |
| 2 | Christian-Democratic People's Party | 10 October 2014 |
| 3 | Force of the People Party | 10 October 2014 |
| 4 | Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova | 10 October 2014 |
| 5 | Liberal Reformist Party | 10 October 2014 |
| 6 | Communist Reformist Party of Moldova | 10 October 2014 |
| 7 | Popular Movement Anti-Mafia Party | 10 October 2014 |
| 8 | National Liberal Party | 10 October 2014 |
| 9 | Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova | 10 October 2014 |
| 10 | 'Moldova’s Choice — the Customs Union' Electoral Bloc | 10 October 2014 |
| 11 | Democracy at Home Party | 10 October 2014 |
| 12 | People's Party of Moldova | 10 October 2014 |
| 13 | Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova | 10 October 2014 |
| 14 | Liberal Party | 10 October 2014 |
| 15 | Revival Party | 10 October 2014 |
| 16 | Homeland Party | 13 October 2014 |
| 17 | Democratic Action Party | 27 October 2014 |
| 18 | Ecologist Green Party | 28 October 2014 |
| 19 | Equality Movement | 29 October 2014 |
| 20 | Oleg Cernei | 29 October 2014 |
| 21 | Oleg Brega | 3 November 2014 |
| 22 | 'Patriots of Moldova' Party | 3 November 2014 |
| 23 | Valeriu Pleșca | 6 November 2014 |
| 24 | Anatolie Doga | 7 November 2014 |
| 25 | Centrist Union of Moldova | 6 November 2014 |
| 26 | For the Nation and Country Party | 6 November 2014 |
* ↑ Declared withdrawn on 27 November 2014. However, its name appeared on the ballot paper, as it was too late to remove it.
* ↑ On 22 November 2014, the CEC announced that it had accepted the party's decision to withdraw from the election.

### Withdrawn

The candidate list of the Republican Socio-Political Movement Equality was accepted by the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) on 29 October 2014; however, the party later decided to withdraw from the election. On 22 November 2014, the CEC announced that it had accepted the withdrawal.
The Homeland Party was declared withdrawn from the election by the Chișinău Court of Appeal on 27 November 2014, for having used foreign financial resources during the campaign. Because ballot papers had already been printed, it was too late to remove the party's name (as was previously done for the Socio-political Movement 'Ravnopravie'). Instead, a stamp marked "withdrawn" was applied next to the party's name. The Supreme Court of Justice of Moldova rejected the party's appeal on 29 November 2014.

## Opinion polls

| Party | 2010 elections | 2010 elections | Opinion Polls | Opinion Polls | Opinion Polls | Opinion Polls | Opinion Polls | Opinion Polls | Opinion Polls | Opinion Polls | Opinion Polls | Opinion Polls | Opinion Polls | Opinion Polls | Opinion Polls |
| Party | Seats | % | Jan 2013 | Apr 2013 | Apr 2013 | May 2013 | Oct 2013 | Nov 2013 | Nov 2013 | March 2014 | April 2014 | May 2014 | June 2014 | July 2014 | September 2014 |
| PCRM | 42 | 39.32 | 31.8 | 50.2 | 41.8 | 53.9 | 39.3 | 49.6 | 50.8 | 48.7 | 44.5 | 41.7 | 36.6 | 36.2 | 35.6 |
| PLDM | 32 | 29.42 | 26.5 | 19.5 | 24.7 | 17.4 | 16.9 | 19.7 | 19.1 | 28.3 | 26.5 | 19.2 | 23.9 | 26.1 | 28.3 |
| PDM | 15 | 12.7 | 11.9 | 10.5 | 13.9 | 11.9 | 10.2 | 13.2 | 12.7 | 12.8 | 14.6 | 10.2 | 13.8 | 14.5 | 16.2 |
| PL | 12 | 9.96 | 14.8 | 16.2 | 10.4 | 10.3 | 7.1 | 8.8 | 11.1 | 10.2 | 14.3 | 8.9 | 10.1 | 11.6 | 9.6 |
| PSRM | — | — | 1.5 | 0.9 | 4.7 | 2.0 | 4.9 | 0.9 | 0.6 | — | — | 8.3 | 1.8 | 4.3 | — |
| PLR | new | — | — | — | — | — | 2.6 | 2.5 | 1.6 | — | — | 0.9 | 5.9 | — | — |
| MPA | new | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1.8 | — | — | 2.8 | — | 2.9 | — |
| PPCD | 0 | 0.53 | — | 0.3 | — | 0.9 | — | 1.3 | — | — | — | 1.2 | — | — | — |
| PSD | 0 | 0.59 | — | 0.8 | — | 0.3 | — | — | 1.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| PAD | new | — | — | — | — | 0.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| PPM | new | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1.3 | — | — | — |
| PaRuS | new | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10.2 |

## Results

| | Party of Socialists | 327,912 | 20.51 | 25 | +21 |
| | Liberal Democratic Party | 322,201 | 20.16 | 23 | –9 |
| | Party of Communists | 279,366 | 17.48 | 21 | –17 |
| | Democratic Party | 252,489 | 15.80 | 19 | +4 |
| | Liberal Party | 154,518 | 9.67 | 13 | +1 |
| | Communist Reformist Party | 78,716 | 4.92 | 0 | New |
| | 'Moldova's Choice – Customs Union' | 55,089 | 3.45 | 0 | New |
| | Popular Movement Anti-Mafia Party | 27,846 | 1.74 | 0 | New |
| | Liberal Reformist Party | 24,956 | 1.56 | 0 | New |
| | People's Party | 12,110 | 0.76 | 0 | New |
| | Christian-Democratic People's Party | 11,782 | 0.74 | 0 | 0 |
| | Force of the People Party | 11,665 | 0.73 | 0 | New |
| | National Liberal Party | 6,858 | 0.43 | 0 | 0 |
| | Revival Party | 4,158 | 0.26 | 0 | New |
| | Democratic Action Party | 2,564 | 0.16 | 0 | New |
| | Democracy at Home Party | 2,449 | 0.15 | 0 | New |
| | For the Nation and Country Party | 1,697 | 0.11 | 0 | 0 |
| | Patriots of Moldova | 1,498 | 0.09 | 0 | 0 |
| | Ecologist Green Party | 1,360 | 0.09 | 0 | 0 |
| | Centrist Union | 633 | 0.04 | 0 | New |
| | Independents | 18,651 | 1.17 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 1,598,518 | 100.00 | 101 | 0 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 1,598,518 | 96.92 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 50,884 | 3.08 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 1,649,402 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 2,956,270 | 55.79 | | |
| Source: CEC ||||||