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Quick facts for kids Igor Dodon
Dodon in 2019

5th President of Moldova
In office 23 December 2016 – 24 December 2020
Prime Minister	Pavel Filip Maia Sandu Ion Chicu
Preceded by	Nicolae Timofti
Succeeded by	Maia Sandu
President of the Party of Socialists
Incumbent
Assumed office 23 March 2024
Preceded by	Himself (as Executive Secretary)
In office 30 December 2020 – 18 December 2021
Preceded by	Zinaida Greceanîi
Succeeded by	Vlad Batrîncea (as Executive Secretary)
In office 18 December 2011 – 18 December 2016
Preceded by	Veronica Abramciuc
Succeeded by	Zinaida Greceanîi
First Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova
In office 31 March 2008 – 14 September 2009
President	Vladimir Voronin Mihai Ghimpu (acting)
Prime Minister	Zinaida Greceanîi
Preceded by	Zinaida Greceanîi
Minister of Economy and Trade
In office 18 September 2006 – 14 September 2009
Prime Minister	Vasile Tarlev Zinaida Greceanîi
Preceded by	Valeriu Lazăr
Succeeded by	Valeriu Lazăr (as Minister of Economy)
Deputy Minister of Economy and Trade
In office 18 May 2005 – 18 September 2006
President	Vladimir Voronin
Prime Minister	Vasile Tarlev
Member of the Moldovan Parliament
In office 23 July 2021 – 28 October 2021
Succeeded by	Adrian Lebedinschi
Parliamentary group	Bloc of Communists and Socialists
In office 14 August 2009 – 15 December 2016
Succeeded by	Irina Mizdrenco
Parliamentary group	Bloc of Communists and Socialists

Personal details
Born	(1975-02-18) 18 February 1975 (age 50) Sadova, Călărași, Moldavian SSR, Soviet Union
Citizenship	Moldova Russia
Political party	PSRM (2011–2016, 2020–present)
Other political affiliations	PCRM (2010-2011)
Spouse	Galina Dodon (m. 1999)
Children	3
Alma mater	State Agrarian University of Moldova Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova IMI-NOVA International Management Institute
Awards	Order of Work Glory Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem

Igor Dodon (born 18 February 1975) is a politician from Moldova. He was the 5th President of Moldova from 2016 to 2020. Currently, he leads the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova since 2024.

Before becoming president, he served as the Minister of Economy and Trade from 2006 to 2009. He was also a member of the Parliament of Moldova from 2009 to 2016. In the 2020 presidential election, he lost to Maia Sandu, whom he had defeated in the 2016 election.

Early Life and Education

Igor Dodon was born on 18 February 1975 in Sadova village, which is in the Călărași District of what is now Moldova. His parents were Nicolae and Galina Dodon. His mother was a Romanian language teacher.

His Studies and Teaching Career

He studied at the State Agrarian University of Moldova, graduating in 1997. He then went to the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova, finishing in 1998. Later, he also studied law in economics at the International Management Institute. He earned a special degree called Doctor in Economic Sciences from the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova.

From 1997 to 2005, Dodon also worked as a teacher. He taught at several universities, including the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova and the State University of Moldova. It was during this time, in May 1995, that he met his wife, Galina.

Professional Career

After finishing his studies, Igor Dodon started working at the Moldovan Stock Exchange in July 1997. He held various roles there until 2001, including being a specialist and director in different departments.

From 2001 to 2005, he was the chairman and a board member of the National Depository of Securities of Moldova. He also led the Universal Commodity Exchange of Moldova from 2002 to 2005. During this time, he was part of expert committees and arbitration commissions related to the stock market. He also helped edit financial newsletters.

Political Career

Igor Dodon began his political journey in May 2005. He was appointed as an Associate Minister of Trade and Economics. In September 2006, he became the full Minister of Trade and Economics. He held this position until September 2009. He also served as an Associate Prime Minister from 2008 to 2009.

In 2009, his party, the Communist Party, moved into opposition after eight years in power. Dodon became a Member of Parliament. In 2010, the Communist Party changed its focus, becoming more supportive of Russia.

Igor Dodon, however, started to focus on Moldova's own interests. He believed Moldova could be a meeting point for different countries, especially for economic cooperation between the CIS and the EU.

In June 2011, Dodon ran for mayor of Chișinău, the capital city, but he lost. He received 49.4% of the votes.

In November 2011, Dodon left the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM). He hoped that leaving would help end a political crisis in Moldova and allow a new president to be elected. Two other politicians, Zinaida Greceanîi and Veronica Abramciuc, left the party at the same time.

On 18 December 2011, Dodon joined the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM). He was then elected as the chairman of the party. In March 2012, Dodon and the two other former communists voted for Nicolae Timofti to become president. However, Dodon later said he regretted this vote.

After he was elected president of Moldova, Dodon resigned as the PSRM chairman, as required by Moldovan law. Zinaida Greceanîi took over as the interim leader.

Presidency

Igor Dodon officially became president on 23 December 2016. One of his first actions was to remove the flag of Europe from the presidential building. On 4 January 2017, he met with the leader of Transnistria, Vadim Krasnoselsky. This was the first meeting between leaders of Moldova and Transnistria in eight years.

In an interview, Dodon said he was not "pro-Russian" or "pro-Western," but "pro-Moldavian." He emphasized that his main goal was to respect Moldova's own interests. In 2018, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was the first foreign leader to visit Dodon in Moldova. Dodon also worked to make the Russian language a required subject in Moldovan schools.

Igor Dodon and Vladimir Putin, 2018

In 2018, Dodon suggested changing Moldova's government from a parliamentary system to a presidential one. This would give the president more power. Polls in 2019 showed that Igor Dodon was the most trusted politician in Moldova. During his presidency, the Presidential Palace was renovated with help from the Turkish government.

In 2019, Dodon ordered a committee to plan events for the 75th anniversary of Moldova's liberation during World War II. He also led celebrations for the 660th anniversary of Moldovan statehood.

During a political crisis in 2019, Dodon was temporarily removed from his duties by a court. This happened because he was reluctant to dissolve the parliament as requested by the Constitutional Court. The former prime minister, Pavel Filip, briefly became acting president.

In 2020, Dodon ordered the creation of a special commission to award medals to war veterans. He also postponed Victory Day celebrations due to the coronavirus pandemic. Dodon announced he would run for another term as president, promising to dissolve parliament after the elections.

Challenges During His Presidency

During his time as president, Igor Dodon faced some challenges and disagreements with the Constitutional Court of Moldova. The court temporarily suspended him from his duties several times. These suspensions happened when he did not approve certain government ministers or when he vetoed bills, such as one that aimed to limit Russian news broadcasts. These actions allowed the parliament to move forward with decisions without his approval.

Foreign Policy and International Relations

Relations with Neighboring Countries

In January 2017, Dodon stated that Moldova would not officially recognize Crimea as part of Russia. He stressed the importance of building good relationships with Ukraine and solving the Transnistria conflict.

Dodon never made an official visit to Romania during his presidency. He believed that Romanians who supported the idea of Moldova joining Romania were a "number one enemy" to his country. However, he also told Romanian President Klaus Iohannis that developing relations with Romania was a "key priority."

Relations with Russia

Igor Dodon is often seen as a politician who favors closer ties with Russia. He supported the idea of Moldova becoming a federal state, which aligned with some Russian views. In 2019, he stated that Moldova had moved away from an anti-Russian stance. In 2020, he expressed trust in a Russian COVID-19 vaccine.

Views on Europe

In a speech in 2020, Dodon said he supported the idea of a "united Europe from Lisbon to Vladivostok." This means he envisioned a large European area that includes both Western and Eastern countries.

Other International Friends

In 2018, Dodon mentioned that Moldova's friends include Russia and Turkey. In 2018, after visiting Israel, he considered moving Moldova's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In 2017, he met with a delegation from North Korea, saying that North Korea had "huge potential for developing commercial ties" with Moldova, especially for Moldovan wines.

Stance on Transnistria

Dodon's views on the future of Transnistria changed over time. Early in his presidency, he suggested that Moldova could become a federal state. Later, he believed that Transnistria should have a special self-governing status, similar to the Gagauzia region in Moldova. He noted that Transnistria's attempts to gain full independence had not succeeded.

Moldova's Neutrality

On 3 October 2017, Dodon became the first Moldovan leader to meet with commanders of the National Army. He explained his vision for the armed forces, which included a complete ban on Moldovan soldiers participating in overseas military exercises without his permission. This was part of his foreign policy that emphasized Moldova's neutrality.

International Travel

Dodon's first two international trips as president were to Moscow and Brussels. He made 47 foreign visits to 19 countries during his presidency, with 20 of those visits being to Russia. He attended important international events like the Munich Security Conference in Germany and the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. He also attended the 2018 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Moscow and the 2019 European Games in Minsk.

Leaders Hosted in Moldova

Igor Dodon hosted several foreign leaders in Chișinău during his presidency:

Country	Leader	Date(s)
Belarus	Alexander Lukashenko	April 2018
Republic of Macedonia	Gjorge Ivanov	16–18 July 2018
Turkey	Recep Tayyip Erdoğan	17–18 October 2018
Hungary	Viktor Orbán	15 March 2020

The 2020 Election

After the first round of the 2020 presidential elections, Dodon criticized Moldovans living abroad, saying they were not in touch with the country's situation. He called them a "parallel electorate."

During the second round of elections, Dodon used a proverb to describe himself as a "pigeon" and his opponent, Maia Sandu, as a "magpie." This led to many jokes and memes on social media. Sandu responded by saying that a "hurt pigeon" was complaining and later posted a video of herself feeding pigeons.

The day after the elections, Dodon met with his party members. They suggested he return to lead the PSRM. After the election, there was a discussion about whether Dodon had given the incoming president, Maia Sandu, a security guard, which is a tradition. On 24 December 2020, after Sandu was sworn in, Dodon officially transferred power to her at the Presidential Palace.

After His Presidency

After his presidency, Igor Dodon visited Russia as the head of the PSRM. He discussed trade agreements to help Moldovan exports to Russia. He also said he encouraged people not to protest after the election to prevent unrest. He accused Maia Sandu of trying to take power unfairly.

In May 2021, he visited Minsk with Zinaida Greceanîi to unveil a monument. He also met with President Lukashenko during this visit.

Election Season

In May 2021, Dodon and former President Vladimir Voronin formed a political alliance called the Electoral Bloc of Communists and Socialists. They joined forces to participate in the 2021 Moldovan parliamentary election. This alliance was a surprise because Dodon and Voronin had previously criticized each other.

Personal Life

Igor Dodon married Galina Dodon in 1999. They have three sons named Bogdan, Vlad, and Nicolae. His oldest son, Vlad, enjoys playing water polo.

Besides his native Romanian (which he calls Moldovan), he also speaks Russian, French, and English. He is considered a good friend of Colonel General Victor Gaiciuc, who is one of his advisors. Dodon supported Gaiciuc for the position of defense minister. He is also a supporter of the Union of Officers of Moldova, where he holds the honorary rank of Major of the Reserve.

On 9 September 2018, Dodon was in a car accident. He was not injured, but his mother and his middle son, Nicolae, were seriously hurt.

Awards

Order of Work Glory (25 March 2008)
Order of the Holy Sepulchre (Holy See)
Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh (Russian Orthodox Church)
Medal "75 Years of Victory in the Great War for the Defense of the Fatherland" (Belarus)

Images for kids

Dodon in 2019
Igor Dodon and Vladimir Putin, 2018
Dodon with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on 22 June 2017