The question
War in neighbouring Ukraine, economic pressures, and contested geopolitical choices made it important to understand how different communities saw Moldova’s future. Complementary SCORE studies covered the right and left banks of the Nistru/Dniester River.
USAID supported the right-bank research, while the UN-supported work on the left bank involved UNDP and UNICEF. Together, these complementary studies examined tolerance, social relationships, and cohesion amid rising energy costs and difficulties in the settlement process with the Transnistrian region. The shared research approach made room for different experiences on either side of the river without assuming that their political or social contexts were interchangeable.
Research scope
The right-bank study surveyed 2,336 respondents, comprising a nationally representative sample of 1,991 adults and additional targeted samples. The public findings appear in Moldova at a Crossroads and Strengthening the Bonds.
The separate left-bank report prepared for UNDP is not published here. Its findings and respondents are not part of the 2,336-person sample or the public briefs linked from this page.
What the research brings into view
Geopolitical views are more varied than a single pro-European/pro-Russian divide. Distinguishing different combinations of preferences helps make space for less polarising and more inclusive policy conversations. The linked report is dated March 2023 and draws on data collected in 2022; it is not a combined estimate for both banks.
Institutional project description and public SCORE results.
For an additional team output on constructive citizenship, see Empowering Moldovans, prepared by Marian Machlouzarides and Christoforos Pissarides. This is related study context, separate from the authored publications listed here.