ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the causes of weak legislative performance in the Republic of Moldova and the Republic of North Macedonia. It suggests that these are hybrid rather than full democracies. In each case, it provides an overview of the legislature’s part in what can only be considered flawed democratic development. Four factors are highlighted as causes of the legislatures’ failure to serve as strong fora representation and policy-making, or executive oversight. These factors are lack of previous democratic tradition, sustained post-independence periods of continuity with their communist era regimes, marginalization in the European integration process, and political corruption reaching the level of state capture.
