Liberal Party (, PL) is a conservative-liberal

political party in Moldova This article lists a series of political parties, both historical and contemporary as well as active and inactive, from the politics of Moldova, Republic of Moldova. The Moldova, Republic of Moldova is a multi-party system, multi-party parliamen ...

. The president of the party is the former Mayor of Chișinău,

Dorin Chirtoacă Dorin Chirtoacă (born 9 August 1978) is a Moldovan politician who served as Mayor of Chișinău from 2007 to 2018. He has been leader of Liberal Party (Moldova), Liberal Party (PL) since 2018. Biography His mother is Valentina, sister of Ghe ...

History

The party was established under the name Party of Reform () in 1993 by Anatol Șalaru. In 1997,

Mihai Ghimpu Mihai Ghimpu (born 19 November 1951) is a Moldovan politician who served as Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament, President of the Moldovan Parliament and President of Moldova#Republic of Moldova (1991–present), Acting President of Moldova from 2 ...

was elected chairman. Until April 2005, the party had a

Christian-democratic Christian democracy is an ideology inspired by Christian social teaching to respond to the challenges of contemporary society and politics. Christian democracy has drawn mainly from Catholic social teaching and neo-scholasticism, as well a ...

electoral platform. Competing in the

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

, and 2001 parliamentary elections, the Party of Reform failed to enter parliament, as its results of 2.36%, 0.54% and 0.67%, respectively, failed to meet the

electoral threshold The electoral threshold, or election threshold, is the minimum share of votes that a candidate or political party requires before they become entitled to representation or additional seats in a legislature. This limit can operate in various ...

of 5%.

Electoral success

At the second party congress, held on 24 April 2005, party members adopted the new name Liberal Party (), along with a new logo and programme, which presented a liberal political platform.

was elected president of the party. The party competed in the April 2009 parliamentary election, obtaining 13.13% of the vote and of 15 seats in parliament. At the parliamentary election of 2009 in July, the popular vote rose to 14.68%, again winning 15 seats. As a consequence of the second parliamentary election of 2009, the party signed a coalition agreement with the Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM), the Democratic Party (PDM), and

Our Moldova Alliance The Our Moldova Alliance (, , AMN) was a social-liberal political party in Moldova led by Serafim Urechean, former mayor of Chișinău. It merged into the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM) during April 2011. History The Our Moldova Allia ...

(AMN), constituting the

Alliance for European Integration The Alliance for European Integration () was a centre-right, anti-communist coalition that governed Moldova from the July 2009 election until it lost to a no confidence vote in the Parliament on February 13, 2013. It was succeeded by the anti-co ...

. The party was included in the

First Filat Cabinet The First Filat Cabinet was the Cabinet of Moldova between September 25, 2009, and January 14, 2011. It was a caretaker cabinet from the election of November 28, 2010, until it was succeeded by the Second Filat Cabinet on January 14, 2011. H ...

. At the 2010 parliamentary election, the party obtained 9.96% of the vote and 12 seats in parliament. The party remained in the

Second Filat Cabinet The Second Filat Cabinet was the Cabinet of Moldova from 14 January 2011 to 30 May 2013. The Cabinet consisted of ministers from the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova, the Democratic Party of Moldova, and the Liberal Party, who together forme ...

. The

European Action Movement Save Bessarabia Union (, USB), previously known as European Action Movement is a political party from Moldova. The party supportes the unification of Moldova and Romania. On 21 July 2019, the party changed its name from European Action Movement to ...

(MAE) merged into the party in March 2011. Under the leadership of Ghimpu, the party has altered its former Christian democratic orientation. On 25 January 2009, a Conference for the constitution of a Women's wing for the Liberal Party the "Liberal Women's Organisation" was held. The party also formed a youth wing the "Young Liberals". The party has joined the

Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE; , ADLE) was a transnational alliance between two European political parties, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party and the European Democratic Party. ALDE had political ...

(ALDE) as an observer member. At the 2014 parliamentary election, the Liberal Party received 9.7% of the vote, winning 13 seats. At the 2019 parliamentary election, the PL received 1.25% of the vote, losing its representation in parliament.

Internal split

In February 2013, the party suffered an internal split. On 12 April 2013, the Liberal Party Reform Council was launched, with

Ion Hadârcă Ion Hadârcă (born 17 August 1949) is a poet, translator and Moldovan politician, deputy to the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova between 1990 and 1998 and from 2009 to 2014. Ion Hadârcă was the founder and first president of the Popular ...

as leader. The members of this council were called "Liberal Reformers" by the media. The internal split became permanent when a separate Liberal Reformist Party (PLR) joined the

Pro-European Coalition The Pro-European Coalition () was the ruling coalition in Moldova from 30 May 2013 until 18 February 2015. Its leaders were Vlad Filat, Marian Lupu, and Ion Hadârcă. The previous Alliance for European Integration collapsed after it lost a ...

, formed after the dissolution of the

(AIE), remaining in the

Leancă Cabinet The Leancă Cabinet was the Cabinet of Moldova from 30 May 2013 to 18 February 2015. The Cabinet consisted of ministers from the Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM), the Democratic Party (PDM), and the Liberal Reformist Party (PLR), a splinter gr ...

after the Liberal Party (PL) left the government.

Creation of Mișcarea Politică Unirea (MPU)

In 2020,

Mișcarea Politică Unirea Mișcarea Politică Unirea (MPU; ) is a Right-wing politics, right-wing political party of the Republic of Moldova. It was founded on 15 January 2020, after the initiative of five parties to join forces to fight for the unification of Moldova and ...

(MPU), a political party established for the

unification of Moldova and Romania The unification of Moldova and Romania is the idea that Moldova and Romania should become a single sovereign state and the political movement which seeks to bring it about. Beginning during the Revolutions of 1989 (including the Romanian Revolut ...

, was founded by five other political parties, including the Liberal Party. Furthermore, Chirtoacă, leader of the PL, was designated as the candidate of the MPU for the

2020 Moldovan presidential election Presidential elections were held in Moldova on 1 November. The fourth direct elections since independence in 1991, voters had the possibility to either elect a new president or re-elect the incumbent Igor Dodon. Because no candidate received a ma ...

. He only received 1.2% of the cast votes and did not qualify for the 2nd round.

2021 parliamentary elections

For the

2021 Moldovan parliamentary election Snap parliamentary elections were held in Moldova on 11 July 2021. Following the resignation of Ion Chicu, the position of Prime Minister became vacant, with the Parliament being obligated to form a new government within three months. After the ...

, PL decided to compete along with PPR,

USB Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard, developed by USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), for digital data transmission and power delivery between many types of electronics. It specifies the architecture, in particular the physical ...

, and

AUR AUR, or aur, may refer to: * Acute urinary retention * African Union of Railways * Alliance for Romanian Unity, a political alliance in the 1990s * Alliance for the Union of Romanians, a nationalist political party * American University of Rome * ...

and managed to get 7,216 votes (0.49%), but failed to meet the 5% threshold.

Electoral results

Parliament

In the 2007 local elections, the party gained 18.31% in Chișinău municipality and 11 seats on the

Chișinău Municipal Council Chișinău ( , , ; formerly known as Kishinev) is the capital and largest city of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial centre, and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc, a tributary of the Dniester ...

. Its vice-president, Dorin Chirtoacă, became Mayor.

Notable members

Corina Fusu Corina Fusu (born 4 September 1959) is a Moldovan politician. Biography She has been a member of the Parliament of Moldova The parliament of the Republic of Moldova () is the supreme representative body of the Republic of Moldova, the o ...

Gheorghe Brega Gheorghe Brega (born 25 September 1951) is a Moldovan physician and politician who was the acting Prime Minister of Moldova from 30 October 2015 to 20 January 2016. He served as Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs of Moldova from 30 July 2 ...

Boris Vieru Boris Vieru (2 July 1957 – 20 February 2019) was a Moldovan politician. He worked for Literatura şi Arta (1988–1990). In 1998, Boris Vieru founded Chişinău office of the Radio Free Europe station. He had been a member of the Parliament ...

* Ion Apostol *

Ion Cebanu Ion Cebanu (born 1 January 1984) is a Moldovan politician. He was Minister of Youth and Sports between 25 September 2009 and 26 February 2013 in the First Vlad Filat Cabinet and in the Second Filat Cabinet as well, President of the Liberal Party ...

Gallery

Image:Partidul Liberal 2009.svg, Votes won by PL in the April 2009 election by raion and municipality File:In vizita la viceprim-ministru Ion Negrei.jpg, Young Liberals and

Ion Negrei __NOTOC__ Ion Negrei (born 12 March 1958) is a Moldovan politician. Career He was the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of social issues in First Vlad Filat Cabinet. He was replaced by Mihai Moldovanu in the Second Filat Cabinet. Negrei becam ...

in November 2009

References

External links

Official website
{{Unification of Moldova and Romania Conservative parties in Moldova Liberal parties in Moldova Alliance for European Integration Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party Conservative liberal parties Romanian nationalism in Moldova