Fierce Fight for a Spot on the PAS Party List

On the eve of the election campaign, the struggle between influence groups within the ruling party has intensified once again in Parliament. The main goal is to secure spots on the PAS electoral list at any cost

At the end of March, Andrei Spinu, once a key figure of the ruling regime, announced his plans to return to politics. With barely concealed resentment and disappointment, he pointed out the lack of attention to his person following his forced resignation as Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, as well as his departure from PAS. Or rather, there was attention – but clearly not the kind he had hoped for: public accusations of all sorts of wrongdoing and behind-the-scenes power struggles. Spinu’s string of misfortunes, however, stems less from his past corruption scandals and more from the active efforts of party colleagues from rival factions, as well as the growing political influence of Prime Minister Dorin Recean. One can look back at the initial failure in managing the gas crisis in 2021. Spinu is still widely blamed for the unjustifiably high gas tariffs, even though he has long since had no involvement in gas procurement. Nevertheless, scandals surrounding overpriced gas purchases continue to stir public outrage. Moreover, the current officials responsible for the gas sector have significantly restricted access to information about the contracts, making the transparency seen during Spinu’s time seem like a thing of the past. The management of Chisinau Airport, which was returned to state ownership, also didn’t go smoothly. Spinu’s team repeatedly failed in their attempts to attract investors – largely due to leaks from opponents alleging procedural violations. In truth, everyone in the country understands how the system of power-business interaction works, as it has remained unchanged for many years. Only the beneficiaries and rates shift. Nevertheless, the public and media eagerly dissected details from leaked documents – peculiarly worded tender specifications, reports of competitor exclusion, and so on. Yet, it’s hard to argue that, as a result of these blocked ‘dubious’ deals, the airport has become any more convenient or attractive for citizens. There were also media scandals surrounding the construction of the “Leova-Bumbata” road, the demolition of old Soviet-era public transport stops – which suddenly came to be seen as something of a national treasure – and other minor issues. The stain on Andrei Spinu’s reputation became increasingly pronounced, fueled by the media’s and public’s insatiable appetite for uncovering the inner workings of those in power. According to his opponents’ plans, the failure of the presidential election campaign he led was supposed to be the final nail in the political coffin of Maia Sandu’s former favorite. However, Spinu could not remain indifferent to the upcoming events. At the very least, he needed to protect his appointees in government offices and like-minded allies in parliament; at most, he had to push them onto the PAS electoral list in order to maintain future influence. And that’s when it all began: new scandals involving the railway, detentions of customs officials, searches, and exposés targeting everyone appointed through Andrei Spinu’s patronage who had been working in the interests of his sphere of influence. Public assurances by the former minister that he would not stir the political scene in Chisinau with his toxic reputation were taken seriously by no one. Former party colleague Dan Perciun stated that Spinu would not be included on the ruling party’s electoral list and that only “the most deserving” individuals – those who had demonstrated diligence and loyalty to party ideals – would be selected. Among the top candidates, of course, will be the currently unaffiliated Dorin Recean. Alongside him will come other government figures who have shown exceptional loyalty or promise, as well as other public personalities like the Prime Minister’s speechwriter, Daniel Voda. The latter has already pledged that the government team will be fully engaged in the election campaign. In short, we can expect a significantly revamped and highly ‘appealing’ list for the electorate. According to the plans of one influential clan now entrenched in PAS, there will be no place for anyone tainted by a shared past with Andrei Spinu – even if that connection is as innocent as a shared childhood in a Moldovan village. Take, for example, the Minister of Labor and Social Protection, Alexei Buzu. He was a tough target: responsible, diligent, and not easily intimidated. So, a special approach was applied in his case. Recently, information suddenly appeared on the DarkNet about the sale of a database containing records of citizens registered in the compensation system – around 700,000 families. It’s hard to say who had the motive to hack the servers of Buzu’s ministry or what kind of profit the hackers expected to gain from the personal data of Moldovan citizens. However, it’s not difficult to draw a parallel with the leak attributed to Andrei Spinu in the fall of 2022, when correspondence from Dorin Recean’s accounts and those of his inner circle was exposed. One could also recall the recent appointment of Doina Nistor, a well-known cybersecurity expert with years of experience at USAID and the right connections, as Minister of Digitalization. In our provincial region, this is starting to look like a full-blown political vendetta in the best traditions of the genre. The political struggle for power and influence has never been an open and honest competition among the best representatives of the people. Our citizens have long understood that it is a ruthless war where all means are considered fair. However, it takes on its ugliest forms when politicians are trying to preserve their influence, when inner insecurities and unchecked ambitions lead them to see power as something sacred. For such individuals, losing power is equivalent to losing the state itself, and they are ready, without hesitation, to sacrifice anything and anyone, especially when pushed in that direction by external patrons. This is not about who is the villain or the hero in this story – none of the actors are truly ‘good’ – but rather about the fact that, despite the pro-European gloss and endless reforms, the essence of political regimes in our country remains unchanged.