ABSTRACT
This article demonstrates how differently the demands of Transnistria and Gagauzia have been managed by the Moldovan centre. Despite Gagauzia declaring independence as early as 1989, Moldova did not perceive it as a threat to its territorial integrity and embarked on a negotiation process which resulted in a limited but constitutionalized autonomy arrangement in 1995. In contrast, accommodation failed in Transnistria. While the linguistic concerns of the Russophone population of Transnistria were a salient factor underlying the outbreak of conflict, pragmatic considerations of the regional elite make this conflict a regional rather than an ethnic issue. The as yet unresolved conflict has had a direct effect on Moldova’s transition politics, contributing to the resignation of the government in 1994, the neglect of socio-economic issues and the attempt of both the Moldovan executive and legislature to use the conflict as a justification to expand their powers.
