Balázs Jarábik recently visited Moldova ahead of its crucial parliamentary elections. The country is experiencing growing political polarization: the government, led by the PAS party, retains strong EU backing, while the newly formed Patriotic Bloc is gaining ground by tapping into social discontent—and Russian money. The political center is hollowing out, echoing last year’s presidential race, and with 40% of voters still undecided, the outcome remains uncertain. His backgrounder, explaining why Moldova matters as Ukraine’s soft underbelly and what these dynamics mean for the country’s domestic stability and EU trajectory, was published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.