Moldova is no stranger to political instability. Ever since the 2009 revolution, which brought a collection of pro-West parties known as the Alliance for European Integration to power, the country has been subject to frequent government collapses and early elections . Moldova's political environment, which is split nearly evenly between pro-Europe and pro-Russia parties and which depends on coalitions between embattled political personalities to pass legislation, is at the root of the problem. In this way Moldova is similar to Ukraine: It is the object of competition for influence between Russia and the West, both of which support parties and power players within the country to advance broader strategic goals. Moldova's last parliamentary elections, held in November 2014, produced a narrow victory for the pro-West coalition.