“From Obscurity to Prominence” in Chisinau’s Elections

One of the highlights of the ruling party’s fourth congress was the announcement of the candidate for the capital’s primar. Several factors indicated that the PAS’ main event was bound to conclude with some fundamental decision regarding the electoral strategy for the upcoming local elections. First, regime officials were tired of dodging the traditional question posed by persistent journalists: “Who will PAS nominate for the Chisinau mayoral election?” Second, Environment Minister Gheorghe Hajder, who had begun an open election campaign, suddenly scaled back his non-core political activities. Third, the incumbent mayor of the capital received special attention directly at the PAS convention. Back in April, party leadership stated that Gheorghe Hajder and Vladimir Bolea, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, were being considered as candidates. Hajder made headlines amid the crisis management efforts to address the aftermath of the environmental disaster on the Dniester River. Bolea is one of the government’s steadiest and non-confrontational officials, capable of communicating clearly with the public on the most pressing issues. Based on the criteria of media visibility and political ambition, the option involving Hajder undoubtedly seemed preferable. In our tradition, a candidate’s lack of name recognition among the public is the first but by no means the only problem. However, despite an overall successful nationwide anti-crisis campaign, the minister managed to find himself at the center of a garbage scandal right in the capital. Ion Ceban’s active countermeasures to expose the illegal landfill scheme dealt a direct blow to this official’s image. The ruling party would have to take a significant risk by once again fielding its own ministers or lawmakers against Ion Ceban. It is high time to launch an unofficial campaign targeting a specific individual. All this time, the PAS party organization in Chisinau, like the country’s top officials, has adhered to an “anti-Ceban” strategy. Regular leaks of compromising information, commissioned caricatures, and the creation of obstacles to the mayor’s office’s work – all of this, evidently, failed to produce the desired result. The clear failure of the previous strategy for the race for Chisinau was vividly demonstrated at the PAS convention by the little-known Constantin Oboroc, who decided to pay a peculiar tribute to the party leadership for their allegedly successful confrontation with Ion Ceban in parliament on May 28. The former MP called Ceban a “pig rooting in the muck” and called for using veterinary methods to deal with his opponent. The statement “went over well” with the party audience, and Oboroc himself received applause. It’s clear that no one needs such publicity stunts, and the party has officially distanced itself from the speaker’s scandalous remarks. However, the very fact that this happened has revealed the fear and uncertainty within PAS. The current mayor’s active involvement is perceived as a threat that cannot be countered. Hence the widespread approval of openly aggressive attacks against Ceban. All of this, of course, is completely un-European. With such xenophobic messages, the ruling party is only increasing its own disapproval rating. It appears that in-house ideologues and external advisors have come to the rescue, launching a smear campaign the very next day after the convention. Mayor Alexandru Vornicu of Stauceni suddenly flooded the media airwaves. High-quality videos featuring statements about his readiness to run for mayor of Chisinau, along with words of full support from European partners represented by Siegfried Muresan – all of this became part of the new information campaign. Who is Alexandru Vornicu, and what is Stauceni? This is an example of the ruling party’s local success. In 2019, he was elected mayor in the second round, and in 2023, he was re-elected with a substantial lead over his opponents. Almost like Ion Ceban in Chisinau. Vornicu was under the political patronage of Andrei Spinu and was a member of various parallel administrative structures dedicated to Chisinau’s development. Perhaps this is why the local mayor is well known among the party leadership. So, what exactly is Stauceni? It’s a town with a population of about 8,000 to 9,000 people. During the Soviet era, it was an urban-type settlement, then a village, and since 2024, it has been a city. So, a rural mayor versus the mayor of a metropolis. It’s a bold strategy designed for the long haul in terms of the electoral cycle. It is entirely possible to replicate Vornicu’s success given administrative resources and media under government control. With a well-structured campaign, it is realistic to achieve high name recognition for the candidate a year before the election and secure the support of Chisinau residents – both those who vote based on political motives and those who choose an effective manager. Will the ruling party and its as-yet-unofficial candidate be able to withstand this marathon? There remain serious doubts on this point. Vornicu’s nomination is more of an urgent anti-crisis measure aimed at diverting attention. The official campaign is still a long way off. There’s not even any talk yet of the timing or format of the election, yet mayor of Stauceni is already actively flooding the airwaves and even reassuring anxious residents, assuring them that in his absence, things in the city (village) will continue as usual. Following an initial wave of skepticism from PAS supporters on social media regarding his candidacy, Vornicu even assured the public that he had secured the support of Victor Chironda, whose nomination many supporters of the right-wing forces had been counting on. It is noteworthy that only the Chisinau party organization has officially announced Vornicu’s nomination. No additional statements have yet been issued by either the PAS leadership or the country’s leadership. Only the newly nominated candidate himself has spoken of their support. It is clear that the ruling party’s leadership has been convinced of the need to launch a “rags-to-riches” operation, which, for now, does not entail any obligations and leaves the door open for any other political maneuvers. If the operation proves successful and the media project titled “Stauceni’s Success” takes on a life of its own, it will have a chance to become PAS’ main strategy for the upcoming mayoral election – a victory in which is of fundamental importance to the authorities. In this regard, they can fully rely on their European partners, who are ready to wield the sanctions club with full force. However, the absence of a strong candidate cannot be compensated for by sanctions alone.