The European integration of Moldova, especially the signing of such documents as the Association Agreement, increases the quality of governance and works as an instrument of control over this quality. Such opinions were stated in the debate “Society’s control leverage on the government before, during and after elections: traditions, local practices and European standards”, which is the 35th of the series of debates “Development of political culture in public debates”, staged by IPN News Agency and Radio Moldova. The invitees of this debate included Prime Minister Iurie Leanca and the project’s permanent expert Igor Botan, who is the executive director of the Association for Participatory Democracy (ADEPT).
“The European integration is needed not only because it ensures expertise, the transfer of expertise and experience and of financial resources for building a viable society, based on clear principles. It also ensures the exertion of pressure for the political elite to behave in accordance with the objectives it set. It is something axiomatic: the European or Euro-Atlantic integration objective in the case of the Central European states or the Baltic countries was the most powerful motivation for modernization and promotion of reforms, for advancing much faster than it happened in our country over the last few years,” explained Iurie Leanca.
“The assistance provided to Latvia by the European Commission, the European Union and European experts in reforming the justice sector, the prosecution service, the economy wasn’t limited to offering financial resources and monitoring how this money is spent. It included much more: the country was helped and pressed to make the necessary things.”
According to the head of Government, the motivation, surveillance and responsibility ensured by the EU are necessary for overcoming the inertia and conservatism in society and for moving things in the direction of modernization. “Otherwise, we will overcome this situation, in which we are held by our traditions, habits and interests, much harder,” stated Iurie Leanca.
Igor Botan shared the Premier’s position, noting that the Association Agreement extended and strengthened the leverage by which the EU can control the quality of governance in Moldova. “This kind of control is not only welcome. It is institutionalized by the Association Agreement by the audit that must be organized for the projects that the EU will implemented together with Moldova,” said the director of ADEPT.
The November 19 debate is the 35th of the series of debates “Development of political culture in public debates”. IPN holds such debates the third year with the support of the Hanns Seidel Foundation and in cooperation with Radio Moldova.
