Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova

The Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Партидул Комуништилор дин Република Молдова, italic=no, Partidul Comuniștilor din Republica Moldova; russian: Партия коммунистов Республики Молдова, Partiya kommunistov Respubliki Moldova, PCRM) is a communist party in Moldova led by Vladimir Voronin. It is the only communist party to have held a majority government in the post-Soviet states. It has been variously described as communist, Moldovenist, and Russophile.

Affiliated with the Union of Communist Parties – Communist Party of the Soviet Union, it is also a member of the Party of the European Left and the International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties. In contrast to most like-minded left-wing and communist parties, especially in the Western world, the party has a conservative outlook on social issues, reflecting Voronin's views, severe restrictions on LGBT rights in Moldova, the country's strong social conservatism, and the influence of the Moldovan Orthodox Church. The party holds pro-Soviet views.

History

The PCRM was registered as a political party in 1994. The PCRM was part of the Popular Patriotic Forces Front at the time of the 1996 presidential election, in which Voronin stood as the coalition's candidate and won 10.3% of the vote, placing third. The party supported Petru Lucinschi in the second round of the election, and following Lucinschi's victory the PCRM was given two positions in the government. Romanian historian Dorin Cimpoeșu has described the party as Moldovenist.

1998 parliamentary election

In the 1998 Moldovan parliamentary election, the PCRM won 30.1% of the vote and 40 seats, becoming the largest party in parliament; in its platform, it called for "the rebirth of a socialist society". Despite its strong showing, the PCRM was left in opposition due to the formation of a center-right coalition government, Alliance for Democracy and Reforms (ADR). Although Lucinschi later nominated Vladimir Voronin as Prime Minister of Moldova in late 1999, the nomination was unsuccessful because Voronin did not have enough support in parliament.

2001 parliamentary election

The PCRM received 49.9% of the vote in the 2001 Moldovan parliamentary election, winning 71 out of the 101 seats in parliament.''Political Parties of the World'' (6th edition, 2005), ed. Bogdan Szajkowski, page 414. With a PCRM parliamentary majority, Voronin was elected as president by parliament in April 2001. The Constitutional Court ruled that the President could also lead a political party, and Voronin was re-elected as party leader.

2005 parliamentary election

As the ruling political party in Moldova, it won the 2005 Moldovan parliamentary election, and provided the President, Vladimir Voronin, the Prime Minister, Zinaida Greceanîi, and the Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament, Marian Lupu. Under Voronin, it privatized several state-owned industries and governed in a multi-party fashion. It also favors European integration and eventual EU membership.

2009 parliamentary elections

After April 2009 Moldovan parliamentary election and the 2009 Moldova civil unrest, the political and civic climate in Moldova became very polarized. The parliament failed to elect a new president. For this reason, the parliament was dissolved and, consequently, snap elections were held. At the July 2009 Moldovan parliamentary election, the party received 44.7% of the vote. That gave the former ruling party 48 MPs and the remaining 53 seats in the 101-member chamber went to four opposition parties which subsequently formed the governing Alliance For European Integration (AIE). For the first time since 2001, the Communists were pushed in opposition.

2010 parliamentary election

After the Parliament failed to elect a new President of the Republic, 2010 Moldovan parliamentary election were called. In the election, PCRM obtained 39.34% of votes, winning 42 seats, going again into opposition to the Alliance of European Integration (AIE). In 2011, Igor Dodon and Zinaida Greceanîi left the party and joined the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM).

2014 parliamentary election

The 2014 Moldovan parliamentary election saw a great defeat for PCRM, which received only 17.48% of votes, losing more than half of its electors to PSRM and electing 21 seats. Following the elections, the party agreed to give confidence and supply to the new Gaburici Cabinet. The agreement collapsed in June 2015 and the PCRM went back into opposition.

In 2016, the party suffered a large split as 14 MPS left PCRM faction and established the Social Democratic Platform for Moldova, joining the majority of Filip Cabinet. On 10 March 2017, all 14 MPs joined the Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM). Since then, the party rapidly declined in polls, losing most of its votes to PSRM and PDM.

2019 parliamentary election

At the 2019 Moldovan parliamentary election, the PCRM collapsed, receiving only 3.75% of votes and losing all representation in the parliament for the first time since the Russian Revolution.

2021 parliamentary election

At the 2021 Moldovan parliamentary election, the PCRM decided to join forces with the PSRM in order to re-enter the parliament as the Electoral Bloc of Communists and Socialists (BECS). The party won 10 out of 101 seats in the parliament as part of the aforementioned electoral bloc, thus regaining parliamentary presence after 2019.

Ideology

According to Art. 1 of its statute adopted in 2008, the PCRM is the "lawful successor and heir of the Communist Party of Moldova both in terms of ideas and traditions." While officially espousing a Leninist communist doctrine, there is debate over their policies. In 2009, ''The Economist'' considered it a centre-right party, communist-in-name only. Romanian political scientist Vladimir Tismăneanu posits that the party is not communist in the classical sense because of the many changes since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, but it is the clear successor to the Communist Party of Moldova, and not something foreign to it, for its Soviet nostalgia.

For its latest period of governance, the PCRM has outlined a new quality of life, economic modernisation, European integration, and consolidation of the society as goals for the country. During the party's time in government, the party has adopted pro-Russian policies, while remaining committed to European integration. Despite being known for gaining most of its support from pensioners, since 2009 it also started to attract more votes from young people and adopting a populist outlook, which was downplayed during the PCRM's time in government but has resurfaced at the opposition and extra-parliamentary level. In contrast to social populist parties, some of which combine left-wing policies on welfare with more right-wing nationalist stances, the PCRM is only marginally populist, and its main ideology continues to be Marxism–Leninism and European socialism.

The party is known for its Moldovenist position, supporting the existence of Moldovan language and ethnicity. The party considers June 28 1940 as "the day Moldova was liberated by the Soviet Union from the Romanian occupation". For these reasons, part of the press (such as journalist Oleg Serebrian) described the party as anti-Romanian.

Leadership

* Vladimir Voronin – President; MP
* Oleg Reidman – Vice President; MP
* Veaceslav Nigai – Vice President; MP
* Constantin Starîș – Executive Secretary for Ideology; MP

Electoral results

Parliament

Presidency

Gallery

File:PCRM 2009.svg, Votes won by PCRM in the April 2009 Moldovan parliamentary election by raion and municipality

Notes

References

External links

Official website

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1993 establishments in Moldova
Communist parties in Moldova
Democratic socialist parties in Europe
Party of the European Left member parties
Political parties established in 1993
Political parties in Moldova
Social conservative parties
International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties
Russian political parties in Moldova
Anti-Romanian sentiment