IPN on December 4 published an OP-ED article entitled “Moldova and prospects of joining EU – lack of political, institutional and emotional readiness on both sides”, which was written by political pundit Dionis Cenusa. The analysis says the political validation of the European perspective for Moldova will result from the increased attractiveness of this for the EU. More exactly, Moldova should struggle, by reforming and modernizing the country, to show to the EU that it deserves an explicit and guaranteed European perspective. At the same time, synergy is needed at the level of society and political forces, which cannot be imagined with a government that is not able to fully ensure the European integration and to minimize the effects of the Russian factor. Read more…
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A resolution on the rule of law and respect for the human rights and freedoms in Moldova was passed in the 38th Congress of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), which took place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Chairman of the Liberal Party (PL) Mihai Ghimpu, who took part in the Congress, told a news conference that the resolution was voted by the European Liberals owing to the bad state of the rule of law in Moldova. The congress decided to delegate a group of European MPs and experts to Moldova to assess the risks to the rule and law and human rights. Read more ...
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The importance of the partnership between Moldova and the Council of Europe was discussed in Strasbourg in a meeting of the president of the Democratic Party (PDM) Vlad Plahotniuc and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland. While in Strasbourg on a working visit, the leader of the PDM also met with the President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio. In a press release, the PDM said Vlad Plahotniuc told Thorbjørn Jagland that the ruling coalition and the Democratic Party support the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova 2017-2020 and will offer all the political assistance to implement it. Read more ...
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Young entrepreneur Dmitri Asoscov earns money by turning waste into energy. Dmitri and his partner Serghei Alexei three years ago set up a business that provides them financial benefit and a moral satisfaction with the contribution to the reduction of fossil energy consumption and the country’s energy security. The business was started through the agency of the Energy and Biomass Project. According to a press release of UNDP, Dmitri and Serghei started their business from a small carpenter’s shop, and because they had to do something with wood sawdust, the business was expanded into a similar area - production of briquettes. Also, since the demand was high, the two partners sought for new sources of raw materials to produce more and chose buckwheat husks and almond nutshells. So far, the company has produced and sold 150 tons of buckwheat briquettes and 150 tons of almond nutshells briquettes. Read more ...
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The electoral constituencies were established so that the Democratic Party (PDM) and the Party of Socialists (PSRM) could win the 2018 parliamentary elections, chairman of the Liberal Party Mihai Ghimpu stated in a TV program. Speaking about the mixed-member electoral system, Mihai Ghimpu said the internal and external situation shows that if this system is used in elections, the Republic of Moldova will lose the financial support and this means loss of the political support too. According to him, the only solution for Moldova not to lose the political and financial support of the Europeans and of all those who support it is to stop starting political criminal cases and controlling the prosecution service, while the judges should stop adopting laws that help the current government remain in power. Read more ...
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The Political Party “Platform Dignity and Truth” (PPPDA) and the Party “Action and Solidarity” (PAS) became observe members of the European People’s Party (EPP). The decision was taken unanimously in the EPP’s Political Assembly held in Brussels on December 5. PPPDA leader Andrei Nastase congratulated the citizens of Moldova and thanked the European partners for the provided support, reiterating the message of unity that is intensely promoted by the Platform Dignity and Truth. “The Party “Action and Solidarity” was registered today. I congratulate all the members and supporters of the PAS!” the party’s leader Maia Sandu wrote on her Facebook page. Siegfried Muresan, spokesman for the EPP, said that the preparation of the victory of the two parties in the elections of 2018 starts from this decision. Read more ...
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If a referendum on the entry into the European Union or the Eurasian Customs Union was held next Sunday, 36% of the Moldovans would vote for entry into the EU, while 42.2% for entry into the Eurasian Union. 9% would vote against both of the foreign policy courses, reveals a survey conducted by the Association of Sociologists and Demographers of Moldova, IPN reports. Read more ...
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The Republic of Moldova is firmly determined to change things at internal level. The objective is to make the European course irreversible by the end of the mandate of the current Government, Prime Minister Pavel Filip stated in a meeting with Germany’s Ambassador to Moldova Julia Monar. According to the Government’s press service, Pavel Filip and Julia Monar exchanged opinions on the good results achieved by Moldova at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Brussels. Read more ...
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The bypassing road in Ungheni, which was to be made available for use in June 2016, could be opened next May. According to the authorities, this was 87% ready by December 1 this year and 30 more days favorable for works are yet needed to finish it. The repair of the bypassing road in Ungheni is financed with €11 million worth of grants provided by the EU. Of this sum, €9.5 million has been used. A total of 4.16 billion lei, which includes foreign financing, was planned for road repair works in 2018. Read more ...
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The bill to secure the media space proposed by the Democratic Party is a self-defense remedy against foreign propaganda, political analyst Anatol Taranu stated in a TV program. According to the analyst, everything that is related to the attempt to denigrate the European values and the European Union and to present this as a paradise for gays and an area of debauchery means propaganda that develops a particular social, political conscience in Moldova and blocks what is called European orientation. Democratic MP Corneliu Mihalache said the notion of propaganda appears in Moldova’s legislation for the first time now. Foreign propaganda is much more dangerous than internal one. Read more ...
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The bill to amend the Broadcasting Code that was proposed by the MPs of the Democratic Party and the European People’s Party of Moldova was adopted by Parliament in two readings by 61 votes in favor on December 7. The bill was criticized by the Communist MPs, who left the assembly hall before this was put to the vote. The Socialists also criticized the proposal, suggesting voting by name so as to see who and how assumes responsibility, but the proposal was rejected. One of the authors of the bill, Democratic MP Sergiu Sarbu said that in order to ensure the information security of the state, only the broadcatsing of news, feature, military and political radio and TV programs produced in the EU, U.S., Canada and states that ratified the European Convention on Transfrontier Television will be allowed. Read more ...
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President Igor Dodon said the law to amend the Broadcasting Code to ban the broadcasting of news and feature programs of Russian TV channels in Moldova runs counter to the European norms concerning the freedom of thought and of expression and does not correspond to the constitutional provisions on access to information and shows the incapacity of the Government and the parliamentary majority. Read more ...
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Sic!: President Dodon versus statistics, Part II
Igor Dodon’s statements about the Association Agreement with the EU oscillated between “should be annulled” and “should be reviewed”, but the attitude is clearly negative. The authors of a new Sic! article say the President repeatedly stated that after signing the Agreement, Moldova lost the Russian market and gained nothing instead, but things stand differently as a matter of fact. Despite Igor Dodon’s assertions, the value of Moldova’s trade with the EU rose after the signing of the Agreement, from US$ 1.24 billion in 2014 to US$ 1.33 billion in 2016. Moreover, as the prices decreased on the international markets between 2012 and 2016, the value of trade with the EU rose slower than the quantity of sold goods. Read more ...
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As regards the independence of judges in the Republic of Moldova, a lot is yet to be done. The improvement of the situation in this regard is now rather important, Head of the EU Delegation to Moldova Peter Michalko stated in a TV program. The European diplomat consider a number of changes are needed inside the judicial system, including as regards the composition and competence of the judicial bodies that will make sure that the attitude of judges is much more independent. Read more ...
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Criticizing the DCFTA and justifying the commercial sanctions imposed by Russia, President Igor Dodon cites Moscow’s concerns that Moldova will import duty-free products from the EU and will re-export them, also duty-free, to Russia. The authors of a new Sic! article say the truth is that Moscow introduced a number of restrictive measures, most of which were justified officially through sanitary reasons. A single measure – introduction of customs duties for Moldovan goods – can be related to the danger of re-export. Read more ...
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By adopting the law that bans the retransmission of talk shows and news and military programs produced in a series of counties, the NATO infrastructure is being prepared in Moldova, Socialist MP Bogdan Tardea stated in a talk show. Democratic MP Eugen Nikiforchuk said the goal of the law is to ensure the information security of the state. Read more ...
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Not long ago, President Igor Dodon started to show interest in the experience of Armenia. The fact that it became a member of the Eurasian Union in May 2014 didn’t stop the South-Caucasian country from negotiating a new Agreement with the EU. The “here and there” policy seems to have smiled on President Dodon too in the recent past. In a new Sic! article, author Dionis Cenusa wonders “How viable is and, more important, what lessons can be learned from this model?”. The author concludes that by joining the Eurasian Union in 2014 and by signing the Comprehensive Agreement with the EU recently, Armenia shows that it wants to moderate the Russian influence. Read more ...
The summary of news from the IPN series “European Integration” is produced with support from the Hanns Seidel Foundation of Germany and can be further disseminated on condition that the source is indicated.
