Polina Panainte is a governance and democracy expert with over 17 years of experience advancing electoral integrity, civil society engagement, and public-sector transparency in Moldova and the broader Eastern European region. She serves as deputy director of the Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT, one of Moldova's leading civil society organizations, and as head of the Secretariat of the Civic Coalition for Free and Fair Elections. During Moldova's 2025 parliamentary elections, she led the coalition's efforts tosafeguard the integrity of the elections. A recognized voice in Moldova's civil society, she has provided substantive input into international electoral observation missions and contributed actively to the reform and modernization of the country's electoral legislation.

Prior to her current roles, Panainte held positions at UN Women, the Institute for Public Policy, and the NATO Information and Documentation Center in Moldova, leading substantive programs across governance, gender equality, and civic development. She also served as a consultant to organizations including GMF, the UN Development Programme, and Internews.

Panainte holds a master’s in public policy from University College London and a master’s in political science from Moldova State University.