On June 5, 2018, in the talk show “Important” produced by TVC21 channel, ex-President of the Republic of Moldova Vladimir Voronin made several affirmations that deserve attention. It is worth noting them because these statements were made by a person with a political-administrative experience of over 50 years, who secured three absolute victories in three consecutive electoral cycles for the party he leads and held the office of President for two times. As the President of Moldova,Vladimir Voronin on November 13, 2002 signed the presidential decree on the creation of the national commission on European integration that was to work out the European integration strategy; determined the signing of the European Union – Republic of Moldova Plan of Action on February 22, 2005; declared the start of the Liberal revolution in the Republic of Moldova on April 10, 2007; argued the approach and launched the implementation of the confidence building measures in the Transnistrian settlement process; consented to Moldova’s entry into the Eastern Partnership at the Prague Summit of May 7, 2009. All these things have a continuation in the policy of the current government. This is unequaled performance in Moldovan politics.
However, Vladimir Voronin committed a series of serious mistakes that cost him a lot – the loss of power as a result of the early parliamentary elections of July 29, 2009, generated by the crisis of the so-called twitter revolution. Later, after previous accomplishments and mistakes with a major impact on the fate of the Republic of Moldova, the appraisals given by Vladimir Voronin to current events, Moldovan political players, their performance and perspectives should be treated prudently. Vladimir Voronin considers the betrayal is the major problem of Moldovan politics. It is hard to say if he is right or not. It is yet clear that the parties that dominate now the Moldovan political arena are directed by individuals who were identified and promoted to the highest posts in the state namely by Vladimir Voronin.
For example, the dominant Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM) that has a rating of about 40% is headed by Igor Dodon, Zinaida Grecheanyi and Ion Ceban. The three leaders were promoted to the posts of deputy minister and minister and Zinaida Grecheanyi was proposed for Prime Minister namely by Vladimir Voronin. The three signed written oaths of allegiance to the Party of Communists led by Voronin and they all violated these oaths after the party switched to the opposition. Things are much the same in the case of the ruling Democratic Party (PDM). Its leader Vladimir Plahotniuc, alongside a series of Moldovan businesspeople, was presented to President Vladimir Voronin by the President of Romania Ion Iliescu during an official visit to Bucharest in 2002. On February 22, 2010, while on the stairs of the building of the National Anticorruption Center, Oleg Voronin spoke about the friendships that were established later.
The president of the PDM in 2009-2016 Marian Lupu was also promoted by Vladimir Voronin, up to the post of Speaker of Parliament. There are also many young politicians who were discovered by Voronin while these were at the university and were promoted as MPs and heads of public institutions. One should decide by oneself if these examples are samples of betrayal or manifestations of political flexibility following the mistakes made by Vladimir Voronin, if they possess sufficient information.
The most serious blow caused by the betrayals of the colleagues promoted to public posts was yet witnessed in December 2015, when 2/3 of the members of the parliamentary group of the Party of Communists defected to the PDM amid the naming of Vladimir Plahotniuc as the executive coordinator of the government. Since then, Vladimir Voronin and his group mates tried at least three times to persuade the legislative body to adopt an act to condemn political cruising, which they say is equal to betrayal and even to political corruption. But his former colleagues, from the PDM and PSRM, who were once promoted to public posts, thwart these attempts.
In the given circumstances, it is yet strange that the Liberals are declared the main enemies of Mister Voronin as these never betrayed him. They simply declare themselves unionists. The unionist current grows owing to the degradation of Moldovan politics, which, according to Vladimir Voronin, is due to betrayal. The conclusion is that despite the enormous experience he has, Vladimir Voronin prefers to struggle against the consequences not the causes of the things that he aims to combat.
IPN experts