Maia Sandu

Maia Sandu (Romanian: [ˈmaja ˈsandu]; born 24 May 1972) is a Moldovan politician and economist who, since 2020, has served as the sixth president of Moldova. She is the founder and former leader of the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) and was prime minister of Moldova from June to November 2019, when her government collapsed after a vote of no-confidence. Sandu was minister of education from 2012 to 2015 and member of the parliament of Moldova from 2014 to 2015, and again in 2019. Sandu was elected president of Moldova during the 2020 Moldovan presidential election. The first female president of Moldova, Sandu is a strong supporter of the accession of Moldova to the European Union, overseeing Moldova's granting of candidate status, and is widely considered "pro-Western". She has criticised and opposed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and supported subsequent steps to reduce Moldova's economic dependence on Russia, frequently expressing sympathy and support for Ukraine in the conflict. Sandu has made anti-corruption, economic reform and liberalisation a central part of her political platform, as well as closer integration with Europe. In February 2023, she accused Russia of seeking to stage a coup of the Moldovan government and has continued to seek to reduce Russia's influence over the country. Sandu was re-elected president in the 2024 Moldovan presidential election following an electoral campaign defined by geopolitical issues, such as the referendum on amending the constitution to include the desire for EU membership, as well as an unprecedented level of Russian electoral interference.