Eugenia Gutsul, who became the Bashkan of Gagauzia in 2023, immediately found herself at the center of political battles and accusations. Having won the election with 52.34% of the vote with the support of the opposition Shor party, Gutsul faced accusations of vote buying and illegal financing of her campaign. After her victory, Moldovan authorities searched Gagauzia’s Central Election Commission, which sparked protests in the autonomy. Despite this, the Comrat Court of Appeal approved the election results and Gutsul officially took office.
However, the problems did not end. Soon charges of abuse of office were brought against her. Gutsul is convinced that these are politically motivated attacks initiated by Moldovan President Maia Sandu, with whom she has extremely strained relations. Sandu’s visits to Gagauzia were accompanied by protests with posters calling for the president to leave, which Gutsul believes is the reason for her persecution
In the international arena, Gutsul is making moves to strengthen ties with Russia. She has repeatedly visited Moscow, where she discussed economic cooperation and the opening of a representative office of Gagauzia. These actions have drawn criticism from the Moldovan authorities, who accuse her of pro-Russian policies and undermining Moldova’s foreign policy course
Sources: Ведомости
Against the background of political scandals, Eugenia Gutsul continues to actively promote social and economic projects to improve living conditions in Gagauzia, despite pressure from the central authorities
Sources: РИА Новости
