Maia Sandu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Her Excellency Maia Sandu
Sandu in 2024
6th President of Moldova
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 December 2020
Prime Minister	Ion Chicu Aureliu Ciocoi (acting) Natalia Gavrilița Dorin Recean
Preceded by	Igor Dodon
President of the Party of Action and Solidarity
In office 15 May 2016 – 10 December 2020
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Igor Grosu
13th Prime Minister of Moldova
In office 8 June 2019 – 14 November 2019
President	Igor Dodon
Deputy	Andrei Năstase Vasilii Șova
Preceded by	Pavel Filip
Succeeded by	Ion Chicu
Member of the Moldovan Parliament
In office 9 March 2019 – 8 July 2019
Succeeded by	Galina Sajin
Parliamentary group	Party of Action and Solidarity
Constituency	West of Moldova
Majority	49,955 (80.8%)
In office 9 December 2014 – 20 February 2015
Succeeded by	Petru Știrbate
Parliamentary group	Liberal Democratic Party
Minister of Education
In office 24 July 2012 – 30 July 2015
President	Nicolae Timofti
Prime Minister	Vlad Filat Iurie Leancă Chiril Gaburici Natalia Gherman (acting)
Preceded by	Mihail Șleahtițchi
Succeeded by	Corina Fusu
Personal details
Born	(1972-05-24) 24 May 1972 (age 53) Risipeni, Moldavian SSR, Soviet Union (now Moldova)
Citizenship	Moldova Romania
Political party	Independent (2020–present)
Other political affiliations	Liberal Democratic Party (2014–2015) Party of Action and Solidarity (2016–2020)
Alma mater	Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova (BBM) Academy of Public Administration of Moldova (MIR) Harvard University (MPP)
Salary	US$600 monthly
Awards	Order of Work Glory First Class Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise Order of Vytautas the Great with the Golden Chain

Maia Sandu (born 24 May 1972) is a Moldovan politician. She has been the president of Moldova since 2020. She was also the founder and former leader of the Party of Action and Solidarity. Before becoming president, she served as Prime Minister of Moldova from June to November 2019.

Maia Sandu was also the Minister of Education from 2012 to 2015. She was a member of the parliament of Moldova at different times.

In 2020, Sandu was elected president of Moldova. She was the first woman to hold this position. She strongly supports Moldova joining the European Union. She is seen as "pro-Western" and has worked to reduce Moldova's economic reliance on Russia. She has also spoken out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Her main goals include fighting corruption, improving the economy, and getting closer to Europe. In 2023, she said Russia tried to cause trouble in Moldova.

Maia Sandu was re-elected president in the 2024 Moldovan presidential election.

Early Life and Education

Maia Sandu was born on 24 May 1972. Her birthplace was Risipeni, a village in what was then the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (part of the Soviet Union). Her parents were Grigorie and Emilia Sandu. Her father was a doctor and her mother was a teacher.

She studied management at the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova from 1988 to 1994. Later, from 1995 to 1998, she studied international relations. In 2010, she earned a degree from Harvard University in the United States. From 2010 to 2012, she worked as an advisor at the World Bank.

Political Journey

Sandu with President of the European Council Donald Tusk at the EPP Summit in Brussels, 22 June 2017

From 2012 to 2015, Maia Sandu was Moldova's Minister of Education. In 2015, she was considered for the role of Prime Minister of Moldova. She asked for changes in leadership at the National Bank of Moldova and the State Prosecutor's office as conditions. However, another person was chosen for the role instead.

In 2015, she started a political platform. This platform later became a political party called the Party of Action and Solidarity.

Presidential Elections

In 2016, Sandu ran for president in the 2016 Moldovan presidential election. She was the candidate for pro-European parties. She reached the second round of the election. She faced challenges during the campaign. She lost the election to Igor Dodon, who was seen as pro-Russian.

In 2020, Sandu ran for president again. She promised to fight corruption and poverty. She also wanted to improve the justice system. She won the election with 57.75% of the votes. This was a big victory against Igor Dodon. Leaders from the European Union, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Romania congratulated her. She said Moldova would have a balanced foreign policy. This means having good relationships with all countries.

In 2024, Maia Sandu was re-elected as president. She won the second round of the election on November 3.

Presidency (2020–present)

Presidency of Maia Sandu
24 December 2020 –
President	Maia Sandu
Premier	Ion Chicu Aureliu Ciocoi (acting) Natalia Gavrilița Dorin Recean
Cabinet	Gavrilița Cabinet Recean Cabinet
Party	Party of Action and Solidarity
Election	2020 2024
Seat	Presidential Palace 164 Stephen the Great Boulevard, Chișinău
← Igor Dodon •

Maia Sandu became president on 24 December 2020. The ceremony took place at the Palace of the Republic. She spoke about national unity. She used several languages, including Russian, Ukrainian, Gagauz, and Bulgarian. Many supporters cheered for her outside the palace. After the ceremony, she met with the former president, Igor Dodon. They completed the transfer of power.

Domestic Policy

Working with Parliament

After becoming president, Sandu met with different political groups in parliament. She aimed to form a new government. She nominated Natalia Gavrilița as a candidate for Prime Minister. Sandu wanted a government focused on economic growth and fighting corruption.

The process of forming a government was complicated. Sandu wanted early elections to solve the political issues. Her party, the Party of Action and Solidarity, won the 2021 Moldovan parliamentary elections. This gave her a strong position in parliament.

COVID-19 Response

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Moldova, Sandu worked to get vaccines for Moldova. President of Romania Klaus Iohannis promised to donate 200,000 doses of the Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Moldova also received vaccines from the COVAX program. Sandu herself received the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in May 2021.

Moldova was one of the first European countries to get vaccines from COVAX. By June 2023, over 2.2 million vaccine doses had been given.

Fighting Corruption

Fighting corruption was a key promise of Sandu's campaign. Since 2020, Moldova has improved its score on the Corruption Perceptions Index. This shows progress in fighting corruption. However, there is still work to do.

Moldova's World Press Freedom Index ranking also improved. This means journalists have more freedom. The country has also made progress in preventing money laundering.

In 2021, Sandu created a special committee to monitor corruption. This group works independently from the government. In 2021, the Prosecutor General, Alexandru Stoianoglo, was suspended due to corruption charges. In 2022, former Prime Minister Iurie Leancă was charged with abuse of power. Also, former president Igor Dodon was arrested on corruption charges.

In 2023, Sandu announced plans for a new Anti-Corruption Court. This court will handle major corruption cases. She also supports an international anti-corruption court.

Countering Disinformation

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Moldova has faced a lot of Russian propaganda and false information. The United States has said Russia is trying to cause unrest in Moldova. They believe Russia wants a government that is more friendly to them.

In response, Sandu announced the creation of an anti-propaganda center. This center will help fight false information. It will also improve Moldova's ability to respond to threats.

In June 2023, the pro-Russian Șor Party was banned by Moldova's court. The court said the party's actions went against the country's constitution. This party was led by Ilan Shor, who had fled Moldova. Sandu supported this decision.

Climate Change Efforts

Sandu with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev at the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, 12 November 2024

Moldova is very affected by climate change. It faces droughts and floods often. These events harm crops and people's lives. Moldova is the European country most vulnerable to climate change impacts.

In 2022, Maia Sandu spoke at the United Nations General Assembly. She talked about the challenges of climate change. She announced a plan to adapt to climate change. This plan focuses on specific risks and ways to respond.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is helping Moldova. They are working on a plan for green development. This includes using more renewable energy and being more energy efficient. Sandu has stressed that Moldova must adapt to climate change for its future.

Foreign Policy

European Union and the West

Maia Sandu strongly supports Moldova joining the European Union. She wants to improve cooperation with the International Monetary Fund. She believes Romania can help Moldova integrate into Europe.

In 2021, she signed an action plan with the Council of Europe. This plan aims to improve Moldova's laws, democracy, and human rights. After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sandu signed Moldova's application for EU membership.

In October 2024, a referendum was held on joining the EU. Sandu actively campaigned for a "Yes" vote. The "Yes" vote won by a small margin. Sandu said this was despite efforts to interfere with the vote.

Relations with Romania

President of Romania Klaus Iohannis was the first foreign leader to visit Sandu in Moldova. This happened in December 2020. Romania promised to help Moldova with medical supplies and vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sandu has also said that if there were a referendum on the unification of Moldova and Romania, she would personally vote "yes."

Relations with Ukraine

Sandu meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, 27 June 2022.

Maia Sandu's first foreign trip as president was to Kyiv, Ukraine, in January 2021. She met with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. They agreed to create a special council to discuss issues between their countries.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Moldova closed its airspace. President Sandu strongly condemned Russia's actions. She said Moldova was ready to welcome tens of thousands of people fleeing Ukraine. Moldova kept its borders open to help. By March 2022, over 100,000 Ukrainian citizens had crossed into Moldova.

Relations with Russia

Sandu has said she is ready to visit Russia. She wants to discuss trade, exports, and the Transnistria conflict. However, she visited Kyiv and Brussels first. This showed her focus on closer ties with the EU. In August 2021, she met with a Russian official. They discussed removing economic barriers and ammunition from Transnistria.

In February 2023, Sandu stated that Russia tried to overthrow Moldova's government. She said Russia planned violent attacks to install a pro-Russian government. This would stop Moldova from joining the European Union.

Transnistria

Sandu believes that Russian troops should leave the region of Transnistria. This region is a breakaway part of Moldova. She said there are no agreements for Russian forces to be there. She wants their mission to become a civilian observer mission.

Sandu has explained that the Transnistria conflict was created to stop Moldova from becoming fully independent. She believes other former Soviet countries faced similar issues. She has stated that Moldova seeks a peaceful solution to the conflict. She does not support recognizing Transnistria's independence.

Personal Life

Maia Sandu is not married and does not have children. She lives in an apartment in Chișinău, the capital of Moldova. She speaks Romanian, English, Spanish, and Russian fluently. She is a citizen of both Moldova and Romania.

Electoral Results

Parliamentary

Presidential

Honours and Awards

Honours

•  Moldova:
  • Order of Work Glory (23 July 2014)
•  Ukraine:
  • First Class of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (23 August 2021)
•  Lithuania:
  • First Class of the Order of Vytautas the Great (6 July 2022)
•  France:
  • Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (7 March 2024)

Awards

• 2020 Award of the Group for Social Dialogue (Romania, 27 January 2021)

See also

In Spanish: Maia Sandu para niños