Reforming Moldovan social assistance: Poor Laws for the European fringe?

The small south-eastern European Republic of Moldova is often referred to as 'the poorhouse of the continent'. During its transition from a communist to a market economy, inequality and poverty rose exponentially - with the latter reaching a peak of 70% in 1999. Thus, a new social contract between state and society had to be fabricated. The Soviet social protection system, designed around the needs of the workforce and specific groups, was unable to meet the challenges posed by transition. A reform seemed inevitable, re-targeting resources at the most needy. However, Western means-tested models could not be simply transferred; path-dependencies along with donor interventions shaped and altered the policy process.