Elections in Moldova’s separatist Transnistria unlikely to bring clarity on region's future
The unrecognised pro-Russian separatist region of Transnistria in Moldova is holding parliamentary elections on November 30 with no genuine political competition, as the territory faces a severe economic crisis following Russia’s withdrawal of financial support.
With single candidates in 21 of the 33 constituencies and only two candidates in the remaining 12, the Obnovlenie party — the political vehicle of Sheriff holding — is expected to maintain its dominance.
As Moldova advances towards European Union membership, the future of Transnistria remains uncertain. Authorities in Chisinau hope for economic diplomacy to bring Transnistria closer, but they have not ruled out a gradual accession scenario with the separatist region remaining out of the EU in a first stage.
Viktor Gushan's Sheriff holding thus faces a defining choice: either stay aligned with Russia, preserving the current separatist structure but risking economic collapse as Moscow’s support wanes (unless Transnistria takes a more decisive stance against Chisinau), or negotiate with Chisinau, accepting the legalisation of part of Sheriff’s vast assets within Moldova in exchange for stability and access to the benefits of Moldova’s EU accession process, European Pravda commented in a column published in October by editor Serhiy Sydorenko. The November 30 elections are unlikely to indicate further steps in this regard.
Obnovlenie has controlled Transnistria’s parliament since 2005 and held 29 of the 33 seats in the previous legislature, with the remaining four MPs serving as independents.
The region operates under a presidential system, with President Vadim Krasnoselsky in office since December 2016. Backed by Sheriff, Krasnoselsky replaced former president Yevgeny Shevchuk, who was later sentenced in absentia to 16 years in prison for embezzlement.
The parliamentary elections are therefore not expected to alter the governance structure of Transnistria, which continues to experience deepening economic difficulties and worsening human rights conditions. October saw further restrictive measures and violations of fundamental rights, according to a monitoring report by the Promo-LEX Association cited by Cotidianul.md.
The report noted that the electoral process, controlled by the Obnovlenie party and Sheriff, is taking place “in a context devoid of real opposition, without independent observers and outside the control of [Chisinau] constitutional authorities,” with most candidates directly or indirectly affiliated with the holding.
The socio-economic and energy situation remains critical, marked by a severe budget deficit, high inflation of 12.7% in September, and a renewed gas crisis that has disrupted public services and reduced residents’ living standards.
Militarisation and alignment of the education system with the Russian Federation continue through the replacement of textbooks, the introduction of Russian curricula, and the involvement of young people in military activities, museum visits, competitions, and sports clubs that promote military roles. Tiraspol State University is reported to encourage loyalty to Russian power centres and Transnistrian “statehood”.
Propaganda and official narratives promote the concept of a “community of the Transnistrian people” and justify exceptional measures through appeals to “anti-fascism” and a sense of “siege”. According to the report, the regime claims that the region is threatened by Chisinau and the West, reinforcing efforts to mobilise the population.
Local electricity production in Moldova covered about 43% of the 3.153 TWh delivered to end consumers in the first nine months of this year, according to the Market Study on the Electricity Sector for 2025 published by the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE). Of the 1.358 TWh total energy generated locally in the period, 68% came from renewable sources, while 32% was produced in cogeneration mode by urban combined heat and power plants.
The study shows that solar generation accounted for 44% of total local output, followed by wind energy with 19%, the Costești Hydropower Node with 4%, and biogas with 1%.
ANRE reported that this is the first time in Moldova’s history that, over a nine-month period, output from photovoltaic plants exceeded the volume produced by thermoelectric plants running on gas or fuel oil.
Local renewable sources generated about 0.920 TWh in January-September, representing more than 29% of the electricity supplied to final consumers during the period.
Photovoltaic installations accounted for 65% of renewable output, producing 0.596 TWh, including 0.120 TWh injected into distribution networks by prosumers participating in net metering and net billing schemes. Wind energy followed with 27% and 0.253 TWh, while hydropower contributed about 7% or 0.059 TWh.
Data from the Ministry of Energy show that by the end of October, installed renewable capacity reached 932.8 MW, an increase of 35.3 MW from September and 353.4 MW above the level recorded at the end of 2024. The ministry stated that the sector has grown rapidly over the past five years, with capacity rising from 77.4 MW in 2020 to the current level, a twelve-fold increase.
Photovoltaic capacity dominates the generation mix at 665.4 MW, or 71% of the total. Wind installations account for 243.5 MW (26%), while hydropower represents 16.75 MW (2%) and biogas plants 7.16 MW (1%).
The ministry noted that almost half of the installed capacity operates under regulated support mechanisms. Prosumers account for 182.9 MW through 8,240 active systems, while other supported projects function under fixed tariffs, fixed prices or Law 160/2007. In total, 424.9 MW are backed by state instruments, while 507.9 MW operate on the free market.
Within the freely traded segment, 275.09MW come from photovoltaic sources, 216.29MW from wind energy and 16.50MW from hydropower plants. The ministry described the 55% share operating on the open market as a signal of the sector’s maturity. It added that the current expansion pace supports progress toward the 2030 targets of at least 27% renewable energy in gross final consumption and 31.2% renewable electricity in gross final consumption.
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