The “European Moldova” rally to take place on May 21 will be “an event of the people” rather than a partisan one, stated Igor Grosu, Speaker of Parliament and also president of the ruling Action and Solidarity Party (PAS).

“It is an event that will not belong to a political party. As leader of our party, I will not walk onto the stage. This is not an event of parties, but an event of the people. President Maia Sandu will have a series of consultations with opinion leaders and civil society. I as the party leader, will not take the stage, but I will be in attendance with my family and colleagues. Citizens, opinion leaders, personalities must come to the fore and talk about our place in this civilizational space. We don’t want certain political parties to capitalize on this event”, Igor Grosu said during a TVR Moldova talk show.

Earlier, Chisinau Mayor Ion Ceban, who is also president of the National Alternative Movement (MAN) party, proposed having a multi-party agreement similar to the one signed in Snagov in 1995, whereby European integration would pe proclaimed Moldova’s “national idea”. But Grosu, is reluctant, suggesting Ceban’s proposal is a Kremlin ploy.
 
“It is quite ironic that we’ve come to see Kremlin advocates pushing all sorts of documents and papers to demonstrate our eagerness for European integration. Now it’s actually time is to take concrete steps towards fulfilling all of the European Commission’s recommendations so that we can speed up the opening of accession negotiations. The time of making public oaths about our Europeanness has passed. Now it’s time to act”, declared Grosu.

A number of other parties expressed their willingness to participate in the pro-European rally on May 21 as well. Meanwhile, the Socialist Party and the so-called People’s Movement will, too, hold separate rallies on May 21.