Not coincidentally, the pro-Kremlin parties in the Moldovan Parliament, “which still contain criminal elements”, and the separatist regime in Tiraspol have simultaneously condemned Moldova’s EU candidate status, declared ex-ambassador Igor Munteanu, IDIS Viitorul affiliate researcher, at  an IPN debate.

“There is a strong coordination and synchronization between these two processes. There are those interested in speeding up the inclusion of Tiraspol in the electoral space of the Republic of Moldova for the upcoming elections. It is an agenda that could increase the number of voters for the crypto-Soviet parties, which will reduce the share of truly pro-European voters, artificially creating the possibility of distortions and tensions”, the expert pointed out in a dialogue with the moderator.

The recent decisions of the CSE regarding the legalization of banking transactions for the companies on the left bank of the Nistru, the preservation of the Transnistrian domination in Moldovan energy, the concessions for the Rybnitsa steelworks are factors with a double effect, says Munteanu. “Seeking to avoid a social catastrophe or humanitarian crisis, you are, in fact, lured into a foreign agenda. This foreign agenda also aims to push Transnistria as a relevant factor in the decision-making process that the Republic of Moldova must achieve in the coming months and years to come. This is a great risk, in my view”.

What is to be done then? - asked the speaker rhetorically, saying that “first of all, we need to have more support outside Parliament”. “We need to create platforms compatible with the idea of Europeanizing our society. This can be achieved by signing an agreement between the most important political forces and civil society groups, such as the Snagov Declaration”, he added.

The document could also be used to generate social cohesion domestically. “Unfortunately, we see that the current government, instead of strengthening this space for communication and dialogue, is doing the opposite. The recent decision of the Ministry of Education regarding the optimization of the number of university institutions, without being an emergency, does not create unity, unfortunately, but more conflicts”.

“More compatibility is needed with small and medium-sized business groups to understand that the European Union is incompatible with the idea of oligarchy. As long as there are monopolies that erode the functioning of the free economy, some will win and many will lose. Those in government, in principle, understand this, but there are failures in agriculture, in the economy, the fiscal system, in the creation of new industries, which should be the spearhead for sustainable economic growth”, said Igor Munteanu.

The listed objectives can be achieved through a strong partnership with Romania, believes the expert. But more importantly, “there is a need to create national internal capacities, connected to the development needs of the institutional space, of the future governments ... Because this is not a race, but a marathon for several governments”, concluded the expert.

The debate was the 254th installment of the “Political Culture” Series, run by IPN with the support of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.