Authors

Discussion

What explains the  stalemate characteristic of post conflict political order in the Moldovan Transnistria context of incomplete secession? This paper seeks to provide an understanding of how engagement without recognition of Transnistria has shaped the dynamics of conflict to reach a stalemate in negotiation and keep the level of violence at a minimum. It begins with a background to the conflict. Then it surveys over three decades of institutional and regime consolidation and change in the de facto state. Then it places the de facto state in the midst of its interactions with the outside world and based on the literature on engagement without recognition and an actor based approach  seeks to uncover the causal chains that explain the particular conflict dynamics. Finally it looks at how Moldova s posture visa is Russia and the EU have affected these dynamics. This paper argues that the major reason for stability has been Transnistrian benefits gained as part of the policy of engagement without recognition.