All six judges of Moldova’s Constitutional Court have resigned after allegations by the new ruling coalition – made of both the pro-EU ACUM and the pro-Russian PSRM parties – that the judges had been under the influence of the former governing Democratic Party led by businessman Vlad Plahotniuc. Voicing support for the resignations was President Igor Dodon, whose powers were temporarily suspended by the Constitutional Court during a constitutional crisis. This crisis began on June 9, 2019, when the Constitutional Courts refused to recognize the new administration, claiming that the three-month deadline to form a government after an election had already passed. The court then appointed the Democratic Party’s Pavel Filip as acting Prime Minister – a move called illegal by the coalition government. Due to political pressure at the time, the court rescinded their decision which led to Vlad Plahotniuc fleeing the country and establishing Maia Sandu as Prime Minister of Moldova.
