Moldovan president's foreign expenses half of ones of former head of state

Maia Sandu, during her first presidential term, spent about two times less on foreign travels against her predecessor, Igor Dodon; yet, the achievements stemming from these visits shows an inversely proportional relationship.

During 2017-2020, Igor Dodon allocated 5.8 million lei for foreign travels, leading  Moldova towards increased international isolation. In contrast, between 2021 and 2024, Maia Sandu spent only 2.9 million lei, successfully securing a significant rapprochement of Moldova with the European Union.

The data are presented in official reports on foreign service trips made by the staff of the Office of the President of Moldova, published by the presidential institution.

Thus, during his term, Igor Dodon and the presidential team spent approximately 5.8 million lei on 56 official trips, most of them bound for Russia and Belarus. In contrast, in her first term, President Maia Sandu made 65 foreign visits, spending about 2.9 million lei, half as much as her predecessor.

On average, a foreign trip by Maia Sandu cost about 44,600 lei, while during Igor Dodon's era, the average cost exceeded 103,500 lei per trip.

Beyond the financial differences, the data also reflect a strategic change in Moldova's foreign policy. While Igor Dodon's administration had a primarily eastern orientation, Maia Sandu's travels focused on strengthening relationships with the European Union, the United States and international partners.

As a result of the current presidential administration's foreign activity, Moldova got the EU candidate status, officially opened the accession negotiations, received financial support for the population amid the energy crisis and accessed a European investment plan of 1.9 billion euros.

At the same time, between 2021 and 2024, Moldova signed social protection agreements with more European states, facilitated the recognition of driving licenses in countries like Italy, Spain, Greece, and the United Kingdom, and benefited from political and economic support to modernize national infrastructure.

The analyzed data underscore that, although the financial resources allocated for foreign travel were significantly smaller, President Maia Sandu's diplomatic activity generated important external benefits, especially in Moldova's European integration process.