Sponsored by The National Endowment for Democracy, Freedom House and the Moldova Foundation to celebrate the Republic of Moldova’s 20th anniversary of independence.
Panel Discussion: Moldova’s Democratic Transition: 20 Years of Challenges and Successes
Mary Pendleton, U.S. First Ambassador to Moldova (1992-1995)
David Kramer, President of the Freedom House
Vlad Spânu, President of the Moldova Foundation
Moderator – Bobbie Jo Traut, Assistant Program Officer for Europe, NED
On August 27, 1991, the Republic of Moldova proclaimed its independence from the Soviet Union. Since that time, Moldova’s path to building a free and democratic society has been fraught with challenges. The frozen conflict in Transnistria, authoritarian government, economic troubles, and weak civil society are just some of the obstacles the country has struggled to overcome. In the last three years, however, the country has experienced significant and positive changes.
A pro-reform government, better prospects for EU integration, and growing US support are encouraging signs that Moldova is on the right path and make the country one of the few success stories in the former Soviet space. Twenty years after the collapse of the USSR, experts shared their thoughts on the state of democracy in Moldova, the country’s transition process, and ways to continue strengthening Moldova’s state institutions and civil society.
As we celebrated Independence Day, we commemorated another important holiday for Moldovans – Language Day. On August 31, 1989, Moldova’s Supreme Soviet passed a law allowing the use of Latin script for the Romanian language.
