Such a complex system as justice cannot be changed overnight, said the director of the Institute for European Policies and Reforms Iulian Groza. According to him, the justice sector reform and the results in fighting corruption are crucial for Moldova’s European path. The methods used by the current government to clean up the justice system are extraordinary and will not deliver immediate results, IPN reports.
The Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE), in cooperation with Magenta Consulting, conducted the first national public opinion survey on European integrity in the justice sector. According to the survey, 70% of the respondents have heard of the reforms in the justice sector. IPRE director Iulian Groza said the methods of cleaning up justice, initiated by PAS, are inappropriate for a functional system.
“The accession to the European Union will depend a lot on the efficiency of justice and how this fights corruption. The data shows that most of the citizens in the Republic of Moldova have heard and know about the justice sector reforms and I believe this is due to the categorical interventions that took place during the past three years. I am talking about vetting, about the creation of an Anticorruption Court. These are extraordinary solutions, which in a system that works should not appear. But such measures take place when the system fails to solve its problems related to integrity, efficiency,” Iulian Groza stated in the program “In the Context” on the public TV channel Moldova 1.
The IPRE survey also shows that the largest part of the respondents support the country’s accession to the European Union (68%), and most of them (95%) consider that the justice reform is crucial for Moldova’s European integration. At the same time, many citizens are skeptical about the results of the started reforms.
“The low level of citizens’ trust in justice comes from a feeling of impunity, which generates discontent among the people. PAS won the elections with a strong anticorruption message and promises to make changes in the field of justice. Citizens’ expectations were very high. When the expectations are very high, the pressure on the Government is obviously great. The people want quick and efficient solutions. The reality is that a system as complex as that of justice cannot be changed overnight and, if extraordinary interventions take place, they must be carried out as transparently as possible. The survey shows that 40% of the respondents trust the vetting process. On the other hand, another 40% of the respondents do not trust vetting much, while 15% of the respondents do not trust this process at all,” said the IPRE executive director.
The survey was conducted between November 24 and December 22, 2023 and covered a sample of 1,143 respondents aged 18+. Its margin of error is +-2.9%.
