Party of Action and Solidarity

The Party of Action and Solidarity (Romanian: Partidul Acțiune și Solidaritate, PAS) is a liberal political party in Moldova. The PAS was founded by Maia Sandu, the former Minister of Education and the incumbent president of Moldova. A pro-European party,[1] it is an observer of the European People's Party (EPP)[2] and the International Democrat Union (IDU).[3]

Party of Action and Solidarity
Partidul Acțiune și Solidaritate
AbbreviationPAS
LeaderIgor Grosu
Secretary-GeneralArtur Mija
FounderMaia Sandu
Founded15 May 2016 (2016-05-15)
HeadquartersMaria Cebotari 9/1, Chișinău
Youth wingPAS Youth
Membership (2020)15,500
IdeologyLiberalism
Anti-corruption
Pro-Europeanism
Political positionCentre-right
European affiliationEuropean People's Party (associate member)
International affiliationInternational Democrat Union (observer)
Colours  Yellow   Black
Slogan"It is the time of the good people" (E vremea oamenilor buni)
Parliament
63 / 101
District Presidents
1 / 32
Website
www.unpaspentru.md

History

Formation

The party was created amid the 2015–2016 protests in Moldova and growing dissatisfaction with the ruling parties among citizens. On 23 December 2015, Maia Sandu posted a YouTube video in which she announced her intention to form a new political party. Her stated reason for doing so was the creation of a grassroots party, that would function based on the principles of internal democracy and would be financed through small donations.[4] Sandu was elected as leader of the PAS on 15 May 2016 and the party was officially registered by the Ministry of Justice on 26 May. At the time of registration, the party had 7,500 members and 20 local organizations.[5] In February 2017, the party applied for membership of the European People's Party (EPP).[6]

In coalition government: June 2019–November 2019

In the 2019 Moldovan parliamentary election, the PAS and the Dignity and Truth Platform Party formed the NOW Platform electoral alliance, which gathered 26.8% of the votes. After the alliance split into two separate parliamentary groups, the PAS ended up with 15 seats. On 6 June, the Party announced that it was ready to form a coalition government with the pro-Russian Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM) with the goal of freeing state institutions, which in their opinion were under oligarchic control. After the coalition was formed, PSRM leader Zinaida Greceanîi was elected as Speaker of the Parliament and the Sandu Cabinet was inaugurated.[7] Largely because of the significant ideological differences between the ruling parties, the government only lasted for five months and was ousted on 12 November after the PSRM and the Democratic Party of Moldova voted in favor of a motion of no confidence.[8]

In opposition: November 2019–July 2021

After the ousting of the Sandu cabinet, the PAS has been in opposition. In the 2020 Moldovan presidential election, the party's candidate and leader Sandu was elected as President of Moldova. According to Moldovan law, the president cannot be a member of a political party which resulted in Sandu resigning from the office of party president and renouncing her party membership. Until the next party congress, the post of PAS president is held by first vice president Igor Grosu on an interim basis.[9]

In majority government: July 2021–present

The PAS won by a landslide during the 2021 Moldovan parliamentary election, earning them 63 seats in the parliament.[1] Igor Grosu was elected the President of the Moldovan Parliament.[10] On 6 August 2021, Natalia Gavrilița was voted by 61 MPs as the Prime Minister of Moldova and she became the second PAS Prime Minister of Moldova, after Maia Sandu (2019).[11] In early 2022, the party will hold a leadership election and is also expected to nominate a candidate for the 2023 Chișinău mayoral elections.[12]

Political positions

The PAS has been widely described as a pro-European,[1][13][14] centre-right[15][16][17] party that adheres to liberalism, social liberalism, and economic liberalism.[18][19]

Economic policies

According to its program, the PAS supports the idea of an economy based on private initiative and is in favor of a significant reduction of bureaucracy in all stages of business.[20] In the 2020 Moldovan presidential election campaign, the party's candidate Maia Sandu proposed raising the minimum pension to 2,000 lei (around 114 US dollars).[21]

Foreign policy

A member of the European People's Party (EPP),[22] the PAS supports membership of Moldova in the European Union,[23][24] establishing a strategic partnership with the United States, and maintaining a normal and non-confrontational relationship with Russia. The party supports strengthening Moldova's relationship with Romania but does not explicitly endorse the unification of Moldova and Romania.[20][25]

Leadership
  Has been serving as the President of Moldova and also served as Prime Minister of Moldova
  Also served as the President of the Moldovan Parliament
Nº Name Image Term start Term end Term length
1 Maia Sandu 15 May 2016 10 December 2020 4 years, 6 months and 25 days
2 Igor Grosu 15 May 2022 Incumbent

Current leadership positions

Election results
Parliament
Election Leader Performance Rank Government
Votes % ± pp Seats +/–
2019 Maia Sandu 380,181
26.84%
(ACUM)[lower-alpha 1]		 New
15 / 101
 New 3rd Coalition (ACUM (PAS–PPDA)–PSRM) majority government (2019)
Opposition to PSRM–PDM government (2019–2021)
2021 Igor Grosu 774,754
52.80%
 Increase 25.96
63 / 101
 Increase 48 1st Supermajority government
Gavrilița Cabinet (2021–2023)
Recean Cabinet (2023–present)
President of Moldova
Election Candidate First round Second round Result
Votes % Votes %
2016 Maia Sandu 549,152
38.71%
 766,593
47.89%
 Lost Red XN
2020 Maia Sandu 487,635
36.16%
 943,006
57.72%
 Elected Green tickY
2024 Maia Sandu TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD

Chișinău mayoral elections
Election Leader Candidate First round Second round Result
Votes % Votes %
2018 Maia Sandu Andrei Năstase
(ACUM)		 71,803 32.12 129,432 52.57 Elected Green tickY
2019 70,056 31.08 112,514 47.61 Lost Red XN

Chișinău Municipal Council elections
Election Leader Votes Seats Position
Votes % No.
2019 Maia Sandu 74,255 33.30
19 / 51
(ACUM)		 2nd
2023 TBA TBD TBD TBD TBD
  1. NOW Platform DA and PAS won 26 seats of which 15 went to the PAS and 11 to the PPDA.

References
  1. "Moldova pro-Europeans win resounding election victory". www.euractiv.com. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  2. "Parties and partners". European Peeople's Party. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  3. "Members". International Democrat Union. February 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  4. "(ȘTIREA ZILEI) Maia Sandu anunță formarea unei MIȘCĂRI pentru crearea unui nou partid politic". timpul.md (in Romanian). 23 December 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  5. "(doc) Partidul Acțiune și Solidaritate/PAS a fost înregistrat oficial la Ministerul Justiției". diez.md (in Romanian). 26 May 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  6. Olaf Wientzek (2019). The European People's Party and the East: Party Cooperation in Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. Nomos Verlag. p. 54. ISBN 978-3-7489-0401-4.
  7. "Distopie politică la Chișinău. PAS acceptă colaborarea cu PSRM". dw.com (in Romanian). 6 June 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  8. "Moldovan parliament approves Ion Chicu as new prime minister". reuters.com. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  9. "Maia Sandu leaves PAS". ipn.md. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  10. "Igor Grosu, ales preşedinte al Parlamentului Republicii Moldova". adevarul.ro. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  11. "Noul guvern pro-european de la Chișinău a trecut de votul Parlamentului. Republica Moldova este acum condusă de două femei". www.digi24.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  12. "PAS şi Platforma DA, în pregătiri pentru alegeri". adevarul.ro. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  13. "Pro-European Maia Sandu Wins First Round of Moldova Election". Balkan Insight. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  14. Tidey, Alice (16 November 2020). "Moldova: Sandu is president, but the battle for power has only begun". euronews. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  15. "Moldovan leader dissolves parliament, sets July elections". France 24. 28 April 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  16. Tidey, Alice (16 November 2020). "Moldova: Pro-western Maia Sandu won the presidency, but the battle for power is only just beginning". EuroNews. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  17. Necșuțu, Mădălin. "Pro-European Maia Sandu Wins First Round of Moldova Election". EuroNews. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  18. "Program-PAS" (PDF). unpaspentru.md. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  19. Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "Moldova". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  20. "THE PROGRAM OF THE POLITICAL PARTY "ACTION AND SOLIDARITY PARTY" (PAS)" (PDF). 15 May 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 June 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  21. "Program". Maia Sandu Președinte 2020 (in Romanian). Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  22. Milheiro, Karine (21 October 2016). "EPP Presidency: Maia Sandu is the change Moldova needs (EN+RO)". EPP. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  23. "Moldova election: Pro-EU candidate Maia Sandu wins presidency". BBC News. Politico. 16 November 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  24. "Pro-EU Sandu becomes Moldova's president". Politico. 16 November 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  25. "STATUTUL PARTIDULUI POLITIC "PARTIDUL ACŢIUNE ŞI SOLIDARITATE" (PAS)" (PDF) (in Romanian). 15 May 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
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