Moldova court orders dissolution of pro-Russian Chance Party
Moldova’s Centru Court of Appeal ordered the dissolution of the pro-Shor Chance Party following a lawsuit filed by the Ministry of Justice.
The court also imposed a temporary activity ban on several political groups linked to fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, whose namesake party was declared unconstitutional in 2023. Party leader Alexei Lungu was fined €128 (approx. 2,500 MDL) as part of the ruling.
Lungu rejected the decision and announced plans to challenge the verdict before the Supreme Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights.
Restrictions on affiliated parties
In a related case, the court suspended the operations of the Great Moldova party, led by Victoria Furtună, for 12 months.
Operations of the Renaissance Party and the Moldovan Alternative and Salvation Force were restricted for six months. These rulings take immediate effect but remain subject to appeal within 10 days.
Background of electoral bans
The Chance Party emerged in the summer of 2023 shortly after the dissolution of the Shor Party.
Authorities previously suspended the party for three months in 2024 over illegal financing allegations, barring it from participating in the October 2024 EU integration referendum.
In 2025, the party sought to contest parliamentary elections under the Moscow-created Victory-Pobeda bloc. Electoral authorities rejected the registration due to illicit financial reporting and covert links to the banned Shor network.
The Ministry of Justice initiated dissolution proceedings following evidence that affiliated parties received illicit funding from Russia through Promsvyazbank.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
