Moldova narrowly avoided rolling blackouts after a deliberate drone strike on a key power line. But a much bigger crisis is unfolding - driven by the global oil shock - with real risks of recession ahead. What happened and what comes next: open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

Newsletters are having a real moment - especially in Central & Eastern Europe. I’ve put together a list of the CEE newsletters I rely on most for understanding the region. If you follow the region, or European politics - this is a great place to start: open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

March 27, 1918 → March 27, 2026 What really happened when Bessarabia united with Romania - and could it happen again? Igor Cașu, Director of Moldova’s National Archives, separates history from myth. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

A Russian drone strike has damaged a key power line supplying Moldova — triggering an energy emergency and raising the risk of blackouts. This wasn’t just an incident. It exposed a critical vulnerability in Moldova’s energy system. Full analysis: open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

Moldova’s 2025 elections weren’t just targeted - they were engineered to fail In a new report with WatchdogMD, I break down how cyberattacks, disinformation, and protest mobilization were meant to work together to undermine the vote - and why they didn’t open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

A leaked Moldovan government document is offering the clearest look yet at how officials are thinking about Transnistria. It’s not a plan—but it reveals a strategy. Here’s what it says (and why it matters): open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

Guest article by Vasile Tofan: Moldova’s local government system is too fragmented to work. ~900 mayoralties. Shrinking population. Limited capacity. A Baltic-inspired model would replace this with ~40 strong municipalities. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

Oil in the Nistru. Water cutoffs in the north. Fuel prices surging. Russian drones overhead. This week, Moldova faces a cascading crisis - environmental, economic, and security. Full breakdown: open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

Old Glory is being carried around the world by villains and gangsters. It'll take generations to undo the stain... if it can even be done. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/16/h...

Final part of my 4-part series on religion in Kremlin influence campaigns during Moldova’s 2024–25 elections. How Moscow links “traditional values” to Western anti-globalist networks—and why the contradictions create openings to push back against Russian FIMI. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

Oil prices are surging as the Iran war disrupts global supply and closes the Strait of Hormuz. What could this mean for Moldova and Europe? In this week’s roundup: the potential energy fallout, Transnistria’s gas issues and a week of political scandals in Chișinău open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

Kremlin-linked influence campaigns about Moldova aren’t just aimed at Moldovans. Part 3 of my series with WatchDog examines how a delegation of far-right Western bloggers helped spread religious-themed disinformation about Moldova to English-speaking audiences. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

Part 2 of my new series on the Kremlin’s use of religion to influence Moldova’s elections looks at how networks were used to spread political messaging, pay clergy, and build a grassroots propaganda machine around “traditional values.” open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

Religion became a key vector in Kremlin influence operations during Moldova’s recent elections. In Part 1 of a new series based on a report with WatchDog, I explain the Orthodox church schism that underpins these campaigns. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

As Moldova marks 34 years since the outbreak of the Transnistrian war, Chisinau steps up the pressure on Tiraspol and takes concrete steps in the “convergence” strategy for gradual reintegration. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

Some reflections on 4 long years of war and a roundup of how the grim anniversary was marked in Moldova. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

With Maia Sandu in Munich and US Senators in Chisinau there was a lot of diplomatic news this week. Plus, we got updates on Igor Dodon’s corruption case with recordings of his negotiations with Plahotniuc (on behalf of Putin). This week's roundup... open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

New economic data show the depth of the crisis facing the Transnistria region. Plus - Prime Minister Munteanu visits Kyiv, the EU is considering a 2-speed Europe and team Moldova makes their debut at the Olympics. All this and more in the Weekly Roundup. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

It’s been 100 days since the Munteanu government took office - what are their main accomplishments? What comes next? Who knows. The PM perplexingly dismissed the 100 day marker as “Soviet” and gave us a masterclass in missed opportunities in political communication open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

Fascinating read

Over the weekend an electrical fault in Ukraine triggered a cascading power outage that took down almost the entire Moldovan grid. We look at the technical cause and how the authorities responded in this week’s roundup. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

I’m sharing Aliya’s entire opening statement. We owe it to her, and those who no longer have a voice, to watch. youtu.be/zrcW8SZtYpI?...

As the world tries to make sense of the new revelations in the Epstein files, I take a look at where Moldova is mentioned and what it can (and can’t) tell us about his connections to the country. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

A drone crashed in Moldova and this one was armed. Plus, we find out that George Simion, eager to annex Moldova and carve up Ukraine, has no problem with Trump taking Greenland. This and more in the Weekly Roundup. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

In yesterday’s speech to PACE, President Sandu called on Europe to recognize that the continent faces 2 wars - the hot war in Ukraine, and a hybrid war that seeks to fracture democracies - and Europe itself - from within. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

How an antisemitic conspiracy theorist and Jan 6 insurrectionist helped organize a Kremlin-linked disinformation campaign around Moldova’s elections. I’m sharing part of my new report in collaboration with Watchdog.md on externally facing influence campaigns open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

Today I’m announcing a new page on Moldova Matters that I’m calling Moldova 101. It’s my “start here” page for anyone new to Moldovan politics, history or culture - check it out! open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

As Moldova faces the coldest January in years the talk of the town remains President Sandu’s comments on union with Romania. Also - we look at the resolutions of some important court cases and other updates. See the full Weekly Roundup at Moldova Matters open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

Maia Sandu’s podcast remark on union with Romania sparked confusion far beyond Moldova. It wasn’t a policy signal - but it does echo a century of hard security choices. It’s a a Hypothetical with History. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

This is an excellent episode of the War & Peace podcast about how Europe must react to what they call the American "betrayal." podcastaddict.com/war-peace/ep...

The title kinda says it all - here’s my take on the viral (and fake) story about Transnistria and what it says about the information space surrounding the region on social media. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

The holidays are finally winding down in Moldova and we’re doing a roundup of the stories that you may have missed while celebrating. How is Ilan Shor connected Venezuela? What is all this about a serial killer feeding people to pigs?! open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

youtu.be/bYQlvaHHvIg Long interview, in English, of Maia Sandu, the President of Moldova. Putin's attacks, methods, how Moldova defended against them, and the threat he presents to the whole of Europe.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRnZ... Interview (in English) by the UK's Telegraph, with Moldovan President Maia Sandu, their politician of the year. Covers Moldova as a testing ground for attacks on the rest of Europe, how she goes about tyhe job, and much more.

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command" www.whitehouse.gov/j6/

"An ally just doesn’t say these things or behave in this way." "It took the bloc an entire year to accept the loss of the transatlantic relationship. The question for 2026 is, will it turn this acceptance into action?" www.politico.eu/article/opin...

We start with Irina Vlah's insane rap video, and then turn towards some of the most consequential months in Moldovan history. Months that passed like years. Enjoy the Year in Review Part 2: July - December. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

What a year! It’s time for Moldova Matters’ annual year in review. In part 1 we look at the events of January - June 2025. From a high stakes election in Romania, to USAID being “fed into a wood chipper,” it was a wild ride. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

Ronald Reagan is rolling over in his grave

I waste my time reading the work of political scientists, and then some guy says "it's like everyone is 12 now" and damn is he right. We live on the stupidest timeline.

Transnistria is weaker than ever - but reintegration won’t be quick or easy. Drawing on closed-door discussions with officials and diplomats, I examine Moldova’s emerging “convergence” strategy how a new approach could see slow but steady progress to a resolution open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

As the year winds to a close we look at some fresh rumors of military preparations in Transnistria and what’s new from the 2026 national budget. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

Solarpunk Stork! Misha Zeldin-Gipsman, Director of the Moldovan School of Economics writes an op-ed about how Moldova needs to seek its own path towards rapid economic growth - learning from past examples from small countries, but charting a unique path. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

This is the message that European leaders must share with their citizens. The situation for our dear Europe is serious and dire. We must prepare for war, and the best way to do so is to speed up our arms industries and send as many guns as we can to Ukraine. No use for them in our storages.

Today we take a deep dive into the current situation in Transnistria. We look at their recent “election,” the changed power dynamics between Chisinau and Tiraspol and how internal Transnistrian politics might impact future reintegration. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

Europe’s in a pickle. Trump's Administration new National Security Policy spells out what should have been clear for nearly a year - the transatlantic security consensus is dead. The US is moving on and Europe does not seem to have internalized this as a *fact.* open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

Michael Druckman writes for Moldova Matter’s new series “The Next Economy: Moldova 2030” and argues that Moldova’s renewable energy transition can play a key role in the eventual reconstruction of Ukraine. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

Shor signals he’s closing up shop in Moldova? We look at what this means for the Kremlin’s hybrid war. Russian drones cause Moldova to briefly close its airspace, and the Moldovan army gets some new ket. All this and more in this week’s roundup. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

Curious what fun seasonal events are happening in Chisinau this month? Check out Moldova Matter’s new “The Month Ahead” series and learn about the musical and cultural events coming up in the capital! open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...

In this first article of our new The Next Economy: Moldova 2030 series, former Deputy PM and Minister of Economy Dumitru Alaiba makes the case for one important policy that could help Moldova shift from a consumption to an investment economy. open.substack.com/pub/moldovam...