The European Union’s projects promoted in the Eastern Partnership countries are no longer the only type of food in the menu, as experts say, but face competition from Russia’s offers. Therefore, the EU should be more aggressive in communication and should speak about the projects supported by it and their long-term benefits. Such a conclusion was reached by the authors of the report “Reward according to Deed” produced within the EU-Moldova Think Tank Dialogue Project.
In a news conference at IPN, director of the Romanian Center for European Policies Cristian Ghinea, co-author of the report, said the EU should adjust its actions to the field realities, should be more visible and have more powerful diplomacy and should concentrate on offering palpable and visible advantages for the population of Moldova. The proposal to liberalize the visa regime for Moldovans should be accepted by the European elections of May 2014 as this will help the current Moldovan administration to keep the Communist Party at a distance in the next legislative elections, given that it pleads for joining the Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan Customs Union.
The report authors consider that the EU didn’t inform enough about the potential of creating a free trade are with Moldova. After the creation of this area, Moldova’s GDP will rise by 5.4%, the salaries by 4.8%, while the prices will fall by 1.3%. These are only the pessimistic estimates. But until now the public debates on the issue were dominated by catastrophic scenarios formulated by representatives of the anti-EU forces. The EU should support the pro-European technocrats from the Moldovan government and shop disapproval of the oligarchs.
Cristian Ghinea underlined that the negotiations with the EU are held by a small group of technocrats from ministries, who then must pay for the mistakes made by the ruling oligarchs. The EU should not accept political arrangements that undermine certain institutions. It should use its influence to clearly say to these politicians what is allowed and what is not.
Executive director of the Foreign Policy Association Victor Chirila, co-author of the report, said that though the report contains a series of recommendations for the EU, the Moldovan authorities can also draw conclusions from them. If Moldova fulfills all the conditions, it will obtain a liberalized visa regime with the EU. But a new “Domneasca Hunting”, when a man was killed during hunting that involved a number of high-ranking officials, will endanger the country’s stability.
The EU-Moldova Think Tank Dialogue Project is financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania through the Development Assistance Unit, in cooperation with UNDP Bratislava Regional Centre. The first report will be presented in Brussels on December 11. It was produced by the Romanian Center for European Policies, the European Policy Center and the Foreign Policy Association.
