Political Finance Workshop for Electoral Stakeholders in Moldova

On June 05-07, 2025, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) under the Moldova Electoral Support Project, funded by the UK International Development from the UK government, conducted a three-day political finance workshop for electoral stakeholders in Moldova. The event brought together around 30 representatives of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), including CEC leadership, Centre for Continuous Electoral Training (CICDE), heads of the District Electoral Councils (DEC), law enforcement agencies (police and anti-corruption bodies), civil society and media to explore the regulation, oversight, and enforcement of political finance.

The interactive workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ understanding of key political finance aspects, including limits on donations and spending, reporting and effective sanctioning, as well as compliance with international standards and good practices in the field of political finance.

Particular attention was paid to the role of law enforcement agencies, the abuse of administrative resources and the risks of foreign financing of election campaigns. Participants also discussed international principles, practical challenges and individual solutions relevant to the Moldovan context. Participants were introduced to many case studies of party and election financing in different countries and had the opportunity to learn more about the development of political financing regulation in Ukraine.

These topics are timely and incredibly relevant, given that parliamentary elections will be held in Moldova in September and the issue of transparency of party financing during elections and in the period between elections is becoming more relevant.

The workshop was facilitated by BRIDGE accrediting facilitators Pavel Cabacenco and Alona Sheshenia, with logistical support from IFES Moldova staff. To place the event firmly in the Moldovan context, representatives of CICDE presented their online course on political financing, designed for political-party managers and other interested electoral stakeholders.

Throughout the workshop, participants showed keen interest and actively engaged in every activity. The final session, focused on expectations and collaboration among stakeholders, sparked a lively discussion that identified both needs and opportunities for future cooperation.

During the evaluation, both written and oral, participants expressed deep satisfaction with the workshop’s content and presentation style, the opportunity to meet and engage with other electoral stakeholders, and the chance to learn from other countries’ experiences. Many noted that the workshop enhanced their understanding of political and campaign finance, which will improve their daily work. Participants also proposed holding deeper discussions on certain topics, perhaps through a task force or working group, before the upcoming elections.