The Constitution establishes Moldova as a republic based on human dignity, fundamental rights, justice and political pluralism. Romanian is the state language, while Russian and other languages receive legal protection. Moldova has permanent neutrality, and European Union integration is a strategic goal reflected in constitutional Title V1 and Law No. 244/2024. Parliament, or Parlament, is the supreme representative body and the sole legislative authority. Its 101 members adopt laws and the national budget, exercise parliamentary control, and decide on matters such as appointments, mobilisation and emergencies. The President is head of state, safeguards sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity, conducts foreign-policy and defence functions, and serves as Supreme Commander. The Government implements domestic and foreign policy and manages general public administration. The President designates a candidate for Prime Minister, Parliament gives the confidence vote, and the President appoints the Government. Curtea Constituțională is Moldova’s independent constitutional-jurisdiction authority. It reviews acts of Parliament, the President and the Government, interprets the Constitution, validates national referendum and election results, and handles constitutional review. It has six judges. The Procuratura is an autonomous institution within the judicial authority and conducts criminal prosecution, represents the state accusation and safeguards legality and rights. The Superior Council of Magistracy manages judicial self-government, judicial independence, judge careers, discipline and court administration; it has 12 members. Moldova has two levels of local government. The first includes villages, communes, towns and municipalities. The second includes rayons, also called districts. Local councils and mayors act autonomously within their powers, while district councils coordinate district public services. The Constitution recognizes the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia, known locally as ATU Găgăuzia or Gagauz-Yeri, as an integral and inalienable part of Moldova. It has a People’s Assembly, a Bashkan and an Executive Committee, with Romanian, Gagauz and Russian used locally. The left-bank or Transnistrian region remains constitutionally part of Moldova, but central institutions do not exercise full effective control there. A National Bureau of Statistics snapshot dated 1 January 2025 lists 1,682 localities, 13 municipalities, 54 cities, 32 districts, one autonomous territorial unit and one left-bank administrative-territorial unit. A proposed 2026 reform concept would consolidate local government because more than 87% of mayoralties have fewer than 3,000 residents, but that consolidation has not been completed. Ministries manage specialized areas of central administration. Other central authorities coordinate or control cross-sector functions. The State Chancellery coordinates Government work, policy planning, draft acts, implementation monitoring, relations with local authorities and publication in the Official Gazette. Its territorial offices provide an administrative-control and coordination interface. The Public Services Agency and the e-Governance Agency support identity documents, registries and digital public services. A practical administrative pathway usually connects the responsible authority with a petition, request or e-service, followed by an administrative act or service and, where necessary, administrative or judicial review. Forms, fees and deadlines depend on the specific service. The national public budget consists of the state budget, the state social-insurance budget, compulsory health-insurance funds and local budgets. Parliament approves and oversees these funds. The Ministry of Finance prepares the State Budget and manages fiscal, accounting, tax, customs and public-debt policy. The State Treasury executes payments through the Single Treasury Account, registers commitments and prepares cash-management, accounting and reporting information. Budget planning is annual. If a new budget has not been approved at least three days before the end of the fiscal year, the previous budget continues to apply. The 2026 State Budget is Law No. 322/2025, and the medium-term budget framework covers 2026–2028. Local budgets use their own revenues and intergovernmental transfers. Budget documents, execution reports, the Citizens’ Budget and BOOST provide public-finance information. The Court of Accounts is Moldova’s constitutional Supreme Audit Institution. It audits the formation, administration and use of public resources, has seven members and reports annually to Parliament. It must audit each year the state budget, the state social-insurance budget, compulsory health-insurance funds and ministry budget execution. The National Integrity Authority examines declarations, conflicts of interest, incompatibilities and unjustified wealth. The People’s Advocate, or Ombudsman, is an autonomous national human-rights institution with two advocates, including a child-rights mandate, elected for non-renewable seven-year terms. It accepts complaints, issues recommendations, mediates and may refer matters to the Constitutional Court, but it does not replace courts or other authorities. The National Anticorruption Center can receive external or public whistleblowing reports within its competence and must refer an out-of-scope report to the competent authority within no more than three working days. Article 34 of the Constitution protects access to information of public interest. Law No. 148/2023 has applied since 8 January 2024 and provides for proactive publication, information requests, refusals and remedies. A request may be submitted electronically, in writing, by post, orally, directly or by telephone. The rules cover central and local authorities, courts, the Prosecutor’s Office, the Superior Council of Magistracy and Curtea Constituțională. Public media must provide accurate information and operate without censorship. The Audiovisual Media Services Code supports accuracy, objectivity, editorial freedom and pluralism. Consiliul Audiovizualului licenses, regulates, supervises and handles complaints. IPNA Teleradio-Moldova operates Moldova 1, Moldova 2 and Radio Moldova as a public broadcaster with a public-interest, balance and pluralism mandate. Access to public information and media services is uneven in the left-bank or Transnistrian region. Moldova’s security system follows permanent neutrality and prohibits the deployment of foreign troops on its territory under the constitutional framework. The President is Supreme Commander, while Parliament decides on defence doctrine, mobilisation, emergency and war powers. The Ministry of Defence develops defence policy and the National Army and assesses military risks. Marele Stat Major handles operational command and planning. SIS provides intelligence, early warning and strategic security assessments and works to prevent threats to the constitutional order and sovereignty within legal and rights-based limits. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the General Police Inspectorate maintain public order, prevent crime and investigate offences. The Border Police manages the state border, checks documents, addresses illegal migration and cross-border crime, and exercises contravention and special-investigation functions. Emergency assistance is reached through 112, and the Border Police provides a 24-hour information line. Security reach and the application of rules are materially constrained in the left-bank or Transnistrian region.
State in Moldova
Moldova is a sovereign, independent, unitary and indivisible republic governed by the Constitution, which is its supreme law. Parliament, the President, the Government, courts and constitutional oversight bodies divide public power and cooperate within the rule-of-law system. Public authority operates through national institutions, local governments, public services, budgets, oversight and security institutions.
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