The Republic of Moldova, located in the neighbourhood of Romania and Ukraine, holds the unfortunate distinction of being the poorest country on the European continent. In a country that has long been mired in political instability caused, among other things, by a fractured society and problems with territorial integrity in the form of the separatist Transnistria and autonomous Gagauzia, the recent presidential elections have put a liberal and reformist politician, Maia Sandu, in charge of the country.