Maia Sandu

Maia Sandu
Sandu in 2021
6th President of Moldova
Incumbent
Assumed office
24 December 2020
Prime MinisterIon Chicu
Aureliu Ciocoi (acting)
Natalia Gavrilița
Dorin Recean
Preceded byIgor Dodon
President of the Party of Action and Solidarity
In office
15 May 2016 – 10 December 2020
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byIgor Grosu
13th Prime Minister of Moldova
In office
8 June 2019 – 14 November 2019
PresidentIgor Dodon
DeputyAndrei Năstase
Vasilii Șova
Preceded byPavel Filip
Succeeded byIon Chicu
Member of the Moldovan Parliament
In office
9 March 2019 – 8 July 2019
Succeeded byGalina Sajin
Parliamentary groupParty of Action and Solidarity
ConstituencyWest of Moldova
Majority49,955 (80.8%)
In office
9 December 2014 – 20 February 2015
Succeeded byPetru Știrbate
Parliamentary groupLiberal Democratic Party
Minister of Education
In office
24 July 2012 – 30 July 2015
PresidentNicolae Timofti
Prime MinisterVladimir Filat
Iurie Leancă
Chiril Gaburici
Natalia Gherman (acting)
Preceded byMihail Șleahtițchi
Succeeded byCorina Fusu
Personal details
Born (1972-05-24) 24 May 1972 (age 52)
Risipeni, Moldavian SSR, Soviet Union (now Moldova)
CitizenshipMoldova
Romania
Political partyIndependent (2020–present)[1]
Other political
affiliations		Liberal Democratic Party (2014–2015)
Party of Action and Solidarity (2016–2020)
Alma materAcademy of Economic Studies of Moldova (BBM)
Academy of Public Administration of Moldova (MIR)
Harvard University (MPP)
AwardsOrder of Work Glory
First Class Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise
Order of Vytautas the Great with the Golden Chain

Maia Sandu (Romanian: [ˈmaja ˈsandu]; born 24 May 1972) is a Moldovan politician who has been president of Moldova since 24 December 2020. She is the founder and former leader of the Party of Action and Solidarity and was prime minister of Moldova from 8 June 2019 until 14 November 2019, when her government collapsed after a vote of no-confidence.[2][3][4] Sandu was minister of education from 2012 to 2015 and member of the parliament of Moldova from 2014 to 2015, and again in 2019.[5][6][7]

Sandu was elected president of Moldova in a landslide victory during the 2020 Moldovan presidential election.[8][9] The first female president of Moldova, Sandu is a strong supporter of the accession of Moldova to the European Union, overseeing Moldova's granting of candidate status, and is widely considered "pro-Western".[10][11] She has criticised and opposed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and supported subsequent steps to reduce Moldova's economic dependence on Russia, frequently expressing sympathy and support for Ukraine in the conflict.[12][13][14] Sandu has made anti-corruption, economic reform and liberalisation a central part of her political platform, as well as closer integration with Europe.[15][16][17] In February 2023, she accused Russia of seeking to stage a coup of the Moldovan government and has continued to seek to reduce Russia's influence over the country.[18][19][20]

Sandu was re-elected president in the 2024 Moldovan presidential election.

  1. ^ Botnarenco, Iurii (9 December 2020). "Maia Sandu a demisionat din fruntea PAS" [Maia Sandu has resigned as head of PAS]. Adevărul (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Maia Sandu este noul prim-ministru al Republicii Moldova" [Maia Sandu is the new Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova.]. protv.md (in Romanian). 8 June 2019. Archived from the original on 17 September 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  3. ^ Călugăreanu, Vitalie (12 November 2019). "Guvernul condus de Maia Sandu a fost demis. Dodon se apucă să-și facă propriul cabinet" [The government led by Maia Sandu has been dismissed]. Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  4. ^ Tanas, Alexander (12 November 2019). "Moldova's fledgling government felled by no-confidence vote". Reuters. Archived from the original on 13 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  5. ^ "Confirmarea rezultatelor alegerilor parlamentare din 24 februarie 2019 şi validarea mandatelor de deputat de către Curtea Constituţională pentru Parlamentul de legislatura a X-a" [Confirmation of the results of the parliamentary elections of 24 February 2019 and validation of the mandates of MPs by the Constitutional Court for the 10th Parliament]. constcourt.md (in Romanian). 9 March 2019. Archived from the original on 17 September 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  6. ^ "Maia Sandu a preluat atribuţiile funcţiei de ministru al Educaţiei" [Maia Sandu took office as Minister of Education]. timpul.md (in Romanian). 26 July 2012. Archived from the original on 7 June 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  7. ^ "Maia Sandu și-a dat demisia din funcția de deputat" [Maia Sandu has resigned as MP]. Radio EU Libera Moldova (in Romanian). 8 July 2019. Archived from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  8. ^ Shotter, James (12 July 2021). "Pro-EU party wins landslide Moldova election". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  9. ^ Roth, Andrew (16 November 2020). "Moldova election: blow to Kremlin as opposition candidate sweeps to victory". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  10. ^ Blewett-Mundy, Hugo (2 March 2023). "Moldova's President Maia Sandu: A Real Friend of the West". CEPA. Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  11. ^ Parker, Jessica; Inwood, Joe; Rosenberg, Steve (22 June 2022). "EU awards Ukraine and Moldova candidate status". BBC News. Archived from the original on 23 June 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  12. ^ Russell, Alec (5 May 2023). "Moldova's Maia Sandu: 'They would like to remake the Soviet Union'". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  13. ^ Tanas, Alexander (31 May 2023). "Moldova says Europe summit signals unity in face of Russia's war". Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  14. ^ "Maia Sandu – Council of Women World Leaders". Council of Women World Leaders. Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  15. ^ Necșuțu, Mădălin (21 March 2023). "Moldova to Target Corruption with New Court for Major Cases". Balkan Insight. Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  16. ^ Wright, Peter (3 November 2021). "Ending the 'rule of thieves': Maia Sandu and the fight against corruption in Moldova". London School of Economics. Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  17. ^ "Moldovan President anoints independent anti-corruption body". Euronews. 8 June 2021. Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  18. ^ "Moldova's pro-EU President Sandu accuses Russia of coup plot". BBC News. 13 February 2023. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  19. ^ Bohlen, Celestine (7 March 2023). "Moldova's Pro-Europe Leader Tries to Thwart Russia's Influence". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  20. ^ Sandu, Maia (13 May 2023). "Russia's efforts to destabilise Moldova will fail, says its president". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Archived from the original on 5 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.