De facto state normalisation in a time of crisis: an analysis of Transnistria’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the world into a global public health crisis unlike anything experienced this century, throwing people’s lives and the international system into chaos. At this time, we do not have a complete understanding of the influence this pandemic may have had on international relations; nevertheless, it is interesting and important to begin analysing immediate changes. Thus, this thesis aims to take this context of the COVID-19 pandemic and apply it to an underrepresented political entity: the de facto state. The de facto state experience is already unique due to non-recognition and relative segregation from the international community; pairing this with the pandemic provides a compelling research opportunity for analysing the intersection of capacity to act vs. dependence and international engagement vs. isolation. Along these lines, this thesis proposes that the circumstances of crisis allow for altering the level of ‘normalisation’ of the de facto state in the international system. Through demonstrating capacity/incapacity and engagement/isolation de facto state authorities may be able to alter their perception from the international community.