Strengthening Parliamentary Democracy in Moldova (PADEM)
Moldova’s political context is characterised by a persistent opposition between pro-European and pro-Russian factions. Over the last decades, this divide manifested in deep political polarization, recurring governance crises and poor performance of the legislative power. Strengthening parliamentary work is an important pre-requisite to a viable democracy. Switzerland will support the Parliament of Moldova to strengthen its legislative, representative and oversight functions, and to increase its efficiency and transparency.
| Country/region | Topic | Period | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Moldova |
Governance
Democratic participation and civil society
|
01.02.2024
- 31.03.2029 |
CHF 5’300’000
|
- Central State of South East
- National State Institute SWISS
- Other international or foreign NGO North
- Foreign private sector North
- Foreign private sector South/East
-
Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation Democratic participation and civil society
Cross-cutting topics The project supports partner organisation improvements as a priority
Aid Type Mandate with fiduciary funds
Technical assistance inclusive experts
Project number 7F09960
| Background | In recent years, Moldova faced significant challenges, e.g. the exacerbation of the unresolved territorial dispute between the two Banks of the Dniester river, the effects of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, including a large influx of refugees, repeated energy crises, as well as external interference in domestic affairs. These challenges have added layers of complexity to Moldova’s political context, aggravating existing tensions and hindering efforts towards national unity and cohesion. Despite these obstacles, Moldova continues to navigate its path towards democratic transition and European integration. Strengthening parliamentary efficiency and performance, including related checks and balances, is an important pre-requisite to a viable democracy. In December 2023, SDC took the decision to support the Parliament of Moldova to strengthen its legislative, representative and oversight functions, and to increase its efficiency and transparency, through a dedicated project. Swiss Parliamentary Services were mobilised from the onset in order to boost the collaboration between the two parliaments. |
| Objectives | Irreversibly improved parliamentary practices, ensuring parliamentary democracy and resilience, and independence of the institution. |
| Target groups |
Relevant parliamentary structures and their staff, members of Parliament, and civil society organizations. Final beneficiaries: The Moldovan society as a whole, benefitting from the changes brought by the improved parliamentary practices and inclusive development interventions. |
| Medium-term outcomes |
Outcome 1: Improved quality of legislation adopted by the parliament Outcome 2: More consistent and effective parliamentary oversight Outcome 3: Improved communication between parliament and citizens |
| Results |
Expected results: • Professional training package for members of Parliament and staff of the Parliament’s Secretariat developed and institutionalized • Parliamentary standing committeees have improved capacities, tools and processes to ensure appropriate pre-legislative scrutiny • The capacities of Parliament’s Secretariat strengthened in terms of post-legislative scrutiny and budget oversight functions • Initiatives fostering cross-party cooperation, political dialogue and consensus across political spectrum developed and piloted • Parliament’s ability to engage with the public enhanced via capacity development and revised regulations and procedures • Innovative solutions for Parliament’s communication and transparency introduced Results from previous phases: During the opening phase (01.02.2024-31.03.2025) two exchanges between the Moldovan Parliament’s Secretariat and the Swiss Parliamentary Services took place - one in Moldova and one in Switzerland - and some equipment to boost the Moldovan Parliament‘s IT capacity was procured. Besides, the opening phase allowed to assess, through political economy lenses, the competencies of and the existing power relations between stakeholders, their openness to change, and how the negotiation process for EU accession will impact the work of the Parliament of Moldova. Since the mandate modality of work was defined as being the most appropriate for such a project, the opening phase was also used for organizing the public tender to select a project faciliation unit. Finally, the opening phase allowed Switzerland to gain the reputation of a valuable partner for the Parliament of Moldova. |
| Directorate/federal office responsible |
SDC |
| Project partners |
Contract partner International or foreign NGO Private sector Foreign state institution Swiss state institution Implementing partner
DAI Global Belgium SRL is the implementing partner. The Parliament of the Republic of Moldova is the strategic partner in the implementation of the project.
|
| Coordination with other projects and actors | Policy dialogue and coordination with the Parliament, Government and other relevant stakeholders will be at the core of the project. This will include continued participation in relevant donor coordination platforms and establishment of a Parliamentary Support Group as a coordination mechanism to facilitate ongoing exchange with development partners throughout the project phase. Synergies between Swiss-funded parliamentary projects in the region and beyond will be boosted, making the most of the shared experiences. |
| Budget | Current phase Swiss budget CHF 5’300’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF 811’118 Total project since first phase Swiss budget CHF 0 Budget inclusive project partner CHF 12’300’000 |
| Project phases | Phase 1 01.02.2024 - 31.03.2029 (Current phase) |
