While the Party of Socialists and the MAN party plan to boycott consultations with President Maia Sandu over the appointment of a new prime minister, Heart of Moldova leader Irina Vlah has taken the opposite view.
She argued that by refusing to attend, opposition parties were effectively handing Sandu a political advantage.
“This is the ideal position for PAS: making noise online and remaining silent when the interests of the people need to be defended. If the opposition has its own candidate for prime minister, it should come forward and nominate that person. If the opposition supports early elections, it should attend and say so directly to Sandu’s face,” Vlah said.
Both sides have their arguments. However, given the opposition’s limited ability to influence senior appointments, the dispute is largely about shaping the public narrative.
Opposition parties may attend the consultations or boycott them. They may also confront Sandu directly with their criticism, although this is unlikely to alter the president’s position. For opposition politicians, the main audience is ultimately not Sandu, but the electorate.
