The PCRM was registered as a political party in 1994. The PCRM was part of the Popular Patriotic Forces Front at the time of the
1996 presidential election, in which Voronin stood as the coalition's candidate and won 10.3% of the vote, placing third. The party supported
Petru Lucinschi in the second round of the election, and following Lucinschi's victory the PCRM was given two positions in the government. Romanian historian Dorin Cimpoeșu has described the party as
Moldovenist.
1998 parliamentary election In the
1998 Moldovan parliamentary election, the PCRM won 30.1% of the vote and 40 seats, becoming the largest party in parliament; in its platform, it called for "the rebirth of a socialist society". Despite its strong showing, the PCRM was left in opposition due to the formation of a center-right coalition government,
Alliance for Democracy and Reforms (ADR). Although Lucinschi later nominated
Vladimir Voronin as
Prime Minister of Moldova in late 1999, the nomination was unsuccessful because Voronin did not have enough support in parliament.
2001 parliamentary election The PCRM received 49.9% of the vote in the
2001 Moldovan parliamentary election, winning 71 out of the 101 seats in parliament. With a PCRM parliamentary majority,
Voronin was elected as president by parliament in April 2001. The Constitutional Court ruled that the President could also lead a political party, and Voronin was re-elected as party leader. The
parliament failed to
elect a new president. For this reason, the parliament was dissolved and, consequently,
snap elections were held. At the
July 2009 Moldovan parliamentary election, the party received 44.7% of the vote. That gave the former ruling party 48 MPs and the remaining 53 seats in the 101-member chamber went to four opposition parties which subsequently formed the governing
Alliance for European Integration (AIE). For the first time since 2001, the Communists were pushed in opposition.
2010 parliamentary election was
President of Moldova and the party's most prominent personality. After the Parliament failed to elect a new President of the Republic,
2010 Moldovan parliamentary election were called. In the election, PCRM obtained 39.34% of votes, winning 42 seats, going again into opposition to the Alliance of European Integration (AIE). In 2011, Igor Dodon and
Zinaida Greceanîi left the party and joined the
Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM).
2014 parliamentary election The
2014 Moldovan parliamentary election saw a great defeat for PCRM, which received only 17.48% of votes, losing more than half of its electors to PSRM and electing 21 seats. Following the elections, the party agreed to give confidence and supply to the new
Gaburici Cabinet. The agreement collapsed in June 2015 and the PCRM went back into opposition. In 2016, the party suffered a large split as 14 MPS left PCRM faction and established the Social Democratic Platform for Moldova, joining the majority of
Filip Cabinet. On 10 March 2017, all 14 MPs joined the
Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM). Since then, the party rapidly declined in polls, losing most of its votes to PSRM and PDM.
2019 parliamentary election At the
2019 Moldovan parliamentary election, the PCRM collapsed, receiving only 3.75% of votes and losing all representation in the parliament for the first time in independent Moldova.
2021 parliamentary election At the
2021 parliamentary election, the PCRM decided to join forces with the PSRM in order to re-enter the parliament as the
Electoral Bloc of Communists and Socialists (BECS). The party won 10 out of 101 seats in the parliament as part of the aforementioned electoral bloc, thus regaining parliamentary presence after 2019.
2025 parliamentary election In the run up to the
2025 parliamentary election, the PCRM joined the
Patriotic Electoral Bloc, composed of the Party of Socialists (PSRM), the
Heart of Moldova Republican Party (PRIM), and the
Future of Moldova Party (PVM) led by former communist prime minister
Vasile Tarlev. Shortly after the elections, in which the bloc won 26 seats, of which 8 were taken by the PCRM, the party announced it would be leaving the bloc and forming its own parliamentary group. == Ideology ==