About

In 2015 Shor entered politics, when he was elected as mayor of the Moldovan city of Orhei. Shor won 62% of the vote, despite entering the race one month before the ballots were cast. Shor served as the mayor until 2019.

During his term, the city saw notable economic and social improvements, and today it remains the most livable city in Moldova. Shor also opened a chain of subsidized grocery stores across the country, allowing citizens to buy essentials at an affordable price. Over the past year, the Moldovan government have shut down many of these stores, as part of their attack against the opposition.

In 2016, Shor took over the Shor party, and in 2019 the party won 7 seats in parliament. The Shor party have since won widespread public support, and is currently represented by 123 mayors across the country. The party has over 75,000 members and 37 regional offices.

In 2023, the Shor Candidate for Gagauz was elected as the Governor for the Gagauz region, winning 53% of the vote.

Recent opinion surveys show that the Shor party is gaining popularity, polling at over 20 percent.

Following political unrest in Moldova in 2015, Shor was one of many businessmen and politicians persecuted by the newly-elected government. He was faced with charges of bank fraud – the case is still pending in the supreme court.

Since 2019, the Moldova, which was already one of the poorest countries in Europe, has accelerated towards economic collapse. According to the IMF, Moldova expects zero economic growth this year, with inflation approaching 30%.

Against a backdrop of a deepening crisis, and with household energy tariffs going up sixfold in a matter of months, Moldovans have taken to the streets in extensive peaceful protests. Tens of thousands of people demonstrate against the government on a weekly basis. People of all ages, backgrounds and political affiliations are exercising their legal right to demonstrate and demand a better future for themselves and their families. Close to four percent of the entire Moldovan population have taken part in the weekly protests.

In parallel, support for the Moldovan government has taken a plunge. The sitting president Maia Sandu has the confidence of less than 20 percent of the population, and support for her party has also dropped below 20 percent.

Without backing from its own people, the Moldovan government has turned elsewhere to try and maintain its grip on power, prioritizing geopolitics over its considerable economic and social challenges. Instead of taking responsibility for the domestic crisis, the Moldovan government have branded protests and opposition as “pro-Russian”, giving itself carte blanche to ignore the cry for help from its population. The government has deployed special forces against the protestors and arrested hundreds of opposition figures. To date, four organizations, including Amnesty International and the Human Rights Embassy, have condemned the violence used against the protestors. This is particularly notable, since these organizations have historically supported the current Moldovan government. The government has also outlawed critical TV channels, a move which has been questioned in the European Parliament.

It is within this acrimonious and highly-charged political climate that Shor and other politicians have been sanctioned by Western governments. Shor is strenuously challenging the sanctions against him across several jurisdictions.

Shor has publicly expressed his position in relation to the conflict in Ukraine. He states that Moldova should remain neutral, taking a similar stance to key US allies such as Turkey, Israel, UAE, and Saudi Arabia.