Located between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova has faced the influence of oligarchs since the end of the Soviet Union. Often pro-Russian and sometimes supported by the Kremlin, the main oligarchs were convicted by the Moldovan courts before fleeing the country.
Despite their absence and a decline in their power, some remain very active in politics, embodying what President Maia Sandu describes as a ‘hybrid war’ led by Russia. Countering their influence will be a necessary precondition for Moldova to join the EU.