An anti-corruption party triumphs in Moldova

SHE IS SLIGHT, polite and gets what she wants. On July 11th the party founded by Maia Sandu, Moldova’s president, won parliamentary elections by a landslide. Over the past two years Ms Sandu (pictured), briefly prime minister in 2019, has seen off a local oligarch and has now dispatched the men from Moscow, too.

Moldova is one of Europe’s poorest countries. Weak institutions have made it even poorer. From 2012 to 2014 almost $1bn, or 12% of the country’s GDP, was stolen from the country through its banking system. Most of those believed to be responsible are still at large. From 2013 to 2019 Moldova was controlled by an oligarch, Vlad Plahotniuc, prompting the Council of Europe, which promotes human rights and democracy, to label it a “captive state”. Mr Plahotniuc used to claim he was pro-Western and that Moldovans should vote for him to stop their country falling into the hands of pro-Russian parties.