Dodon says reviving ties with Russia his greatest successes

Moldovan President Igor Dodon counts the restoration of friendship with Russia and the promotion of nationhood and patriotism among his greatest achievements, Dodon wrote at his Facebook page on Tuesday to mark his two-year anniversary in office.

"For all these years, I’ve proven that Moldova has a future. That’s the most important thing," the president stated, pointing out that when it comes to foreign policy, he "favored a balance in Moldova’s relations with the East and the West because we need to be friends instead of quarrelling with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and non-CIS countries. I restored friendship with Russia without losing amicable ties with the Western countries," Dodon emphasized.

As for domestic policy, the Moldovan president said that he "advocated patriotism, promotion of nationhood, and preserving Christian values." "(I) strongly spoke out against inappropriate actions by the government formed by the Democratic Party (controls the coalition of pro-European parties in Parliament), with whom I disagreed on many issues," Dodon added.

He hoped that after the parliamentary election, scheduled for February 24, 2019, the head of state would gain broad support in the parliament from the Party of Socialists, which is the frontrunner in the election campaign, according to the polls. "This will enable me to do many other good things for the country and people," Dodon explained.

Dodon won both the nationwide presidential election on November 13, 2016 and the parliamentary election of the head of state, which despite being adopted in 2001, was abolished in the same year. Nevertheless, Moldova remained a parliament republic, where the president’s power is limited. The president represents the country in the international arena, he is the guarantor of the nation’s sovereignty and independence, Supreme Commander-in-Chief, appoints the prime minister and judges, and signs bills into a law.

However, the head of state executes most of his power in coordination with the parliament, which has been controlled by the ruling coalition of pro-EU parties since 2009.