Objectives
The project provided young Moldovan politicians with the know-how successful transition countries have acquired in the functioning and organization of democratic political parties. With regard to Moldova’s 2009 elections, the objective of the project was to impart knowledge of how elections can be conducted and how a democratic institutional system can function properly.

Background
Ever since its independence, Moldova is not only facing the challenges of transition, but also the threat of secession of a part of its territory, Transnistria. Russia, as a powerful ally of the Transnistrian leadership, is continuously trying to convince Moldova to return under the Russian umbrella. The European Union has made several efforts to enhance democratic transition in the country through EUBAM, EUSR, and others, but these efforts do not seem to be enough. For the time being, it can be said that, lacking the perspective of EU membership, Moldova does not get the help from the EU that it needs.

Project Description
Participants who represented political parties with at least 3% public support took part in a training course in Budapest in September 2008, where they learned how to build, run, and use a political party in practice. The ICDT is convinced that introducing the experience of Hungarian political parties is an effective means of preparing political party activists of Moldova for significant participation in the political life of their country, especially in combination with experiences of political parties from “older” democracies.

During the training sessions, general techniques of political management were illustrated, and brainstorming sessions held. The Moldovan party representatives met with the representatives of Hungarian political parties, political analysts, campaign groups, and well-known experts in the field of political management. Part of the training was a site visit to Eger, where the young Moldovan politicians learned how parties work in a local government. The experts, many of whom were involved in the first democratic elections in the region 20 years ago, shared their experience and gave advice on how to choose the best model for Moldova to follow.