After three consecutive electoral cycles in which the double-quota system (the mechanism guaranteeing a minimum of 40% gender representation on candidate lists) brought a record number of women into Parliament and local councils, the political representation of other vulnerable groups remains deficient.

The competent authorities, together with civil society and development partners, met on 22 June 2026 to assess the current system and to underline the need for reforms ahead of the elections expected in 2027-2029 (general local, presidential and parliamentary elections). The public dialogue was organised by the Partnership for Development Center (CPD) in partnership with UNDP, with the support of Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

“The experience of recent electoral cycles shows that well-designed legislative measures can bring about real change in political representation. However, a genuinely inclusive democracy requires that every citizen have not only the formal right to participate, but also the real opportunity to be represented. From this perspective, it is important to continue the efforts to remove the barriers that limit the participation of women, persons with disabilities and other underrepresented groups in public and political life”, says Pavel Postică, Deputy President of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC).

Analysis of electoral processes in the Republic of Moldova shows that women’s political representation increases significantly when firm legislative rules are in place, such as the double-quota system applied in parliamentary and local elections. Nevertheless, the current “four out of ten” placement rule still allows women to be concentrated in the non-eligible sections of candidate lists. The CPD analysis finds that introducing a “zipper” system (alternating placement on lists, namely one woman and one man in turn) would have raised the share of women in Parliament to 48.5% and would have eliminated the technical errors found on lists with few registered candidates at local level.

On the other hand, according to a CPD study, persons with disabilities, although they account for approximately 7% of the population and 5% of the electorate of the Republic of Moldova, have an almost non-existent political representation and are absent from Parliament. At the same time, owing to physical and informational infrastructure that remains inaccessible, participation in elections is burdened.

The authors note that ethnic minorities remain underrepresented and that data on candidates from these communities are not collected systematically.

The policy papers presented at the public dialogue put forward recommendations such as:

• Replacing the current “four out of ten” formula with one of the stricter placement formulas: strict “zipper” alternation (1/1), the “2/1” system (at least one candidate of the opposite genderin every group of two positions) or the “3/2” system (at least two candidates of the opposite genderin every five positions);
• Reintroducing the mandatory minimum quota of 40% for each genderin the composition of the Government. This obligation existed under Law No. 71/2016 but was turned in 2017 into a mere recommendation, with no numerical threshold and no sanctions, so that balanced representation is no longer guaranteed and depends on the political context. It is proposed that the quota be linked to the parliamentary vote of investiture, so that a Government list which does not comply with it cannot receive the vote of confidence;
• Adjusting the legal framework so as to allow persons placed under guardianship or judicial protection measures to vote. Approximately 4,000 persons are currently deprived of legal capacity, which runs counter to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and to the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR);
• Introducing measures to encourage the candidacy of persons with disabilities and ethnic minorities, following the model of the facilities discussed for women: more favourable registration conditions (for example, a reduced signature threshold for independent candidates), financial incentives for inclusive parties and representation quotas;
• Systematic collection and publication by the CEC of data disaggregated by gender, ethnicity and disability, based on voluntary self-declaration at the time of submitting candidacy files. At present it is not known how many candidates, irrespective of the type of election, are persons with disabilities or of Roma ethnicity;
• Allocating public funds to make polling stations accessible (only about 5.67% were fully accessible in 2025, while over 65% remained inaccessible), as well as ensuring informational accessibility: sign-language interpretation, subtitling, easy-to-read formats, Braille and websites compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

“The analytical products presented today provide a clear, evidence-based picture of both notable progress and remaining challenges in women’s representation and the inclusivity of elections. Quotas have helped double women’s representation in Moldova’s local councils. Yet, too many polling stations remain inaccessible. We must go further: equal participation for women and persons with disabilities cannot wait. The recommendations outlined in these papers merit serious consideration.Making politics fully accessible, from party offices to the ballot box, is not merely a technical task; it is a democratic imperative”, said Seher Ariner, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative to the Republic of Moldova.

Participants in the dialogue concluded that the proposed reforms concern not only women or persons with disabilities, but the quality of democracy for all citizens. The year 2026, ahead of the 2027-2029 electoral cycle, remains the moment when these changes can still be adopted in good time.