On the multiparty system in the Republic of Moldova

After the attainment of independence, on the political scene of the Republic of Moldova there appeared a number of political parties and movements having unequal role in political life. This collation refers to the number of existing parties, which are part of the system. According to political scientist Jean Blondel, a party system is characterized not only by the quantity, but also by the share of parties in the system. Currently in Moldova there are 36 parties, but only 4 of them are present in the Parliament, the rest having a very low rate of participation in political life. Another feature of the multi-party system is the political continuity, which ensures a continuing evolution of political life through successive governments. In the case of the Republic of Moldova, there is a reverse process, sometimes there is observed even continuity in the negative sense. But in recent years we can see the beginning of positive continuity, which can lead to the consolidation of the party system, provided that the parties will continue to improve their work. Hereafter the author will analyze the multi-party system by the criterion of electoral volatility, i.e. whether a party has a stable electorate. There will also be considered types of relationships between parties and voters, as well as the level of mutual influence.