Maia Sandu · President · Moldova · The WLS 100 · 2026 Edition
Public Service
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Inaugural edition 2026 · Europe

Maia Sandu

President

Mène la Moldavie vers l'UE.

Education
ASEM Chișinău · Harvard Kennedy School
Organization
Profile

An economist trained in Chișinău and at Harvard, with experience at the World Bank, Maia Sandu served as Moldova's minister of education and briefly as prime minister before being elected president in 2020, the first woman to hold the office. Re-elected in 2024, she has made European integration the defining thread of her tenure: Moldova secured EU candidate status in 2022 and has opened accession negotiations. Leading a small country bordering Ukraine in a region shaped by war, she has championed stronger institutions, the fight against corruption and her country's anchoring in Europe's democratic community.

Why this selection

Leading a small and exposed country, she shows that determined leadership can shape Europe's future far beyond her nation's demographic or economic weight.

WLS 100 badge · Maia Sandu
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