MEP Petras Auštrevičius, rapporteur for Moldova on behalf of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, said the European Parliament attentively follows the political situation in the Republic of Moldova, including the most recent decisions by the ruling parties and the President. In an interview for Radio Free Europe, the MEP said the decision to delay the approval of the €100m in assistance for Moldova for a month is an appropriate decision taken at an appropriate time, IPN reports.
Petras Auštrevičius said the Parliament was close to accepting the start of tripartite discussions between the Council of the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Republic of Moldova on the provision of about €100 million in macro-financial assistance. It is an arrangement with very advantageous conditions, but the developments in Moldova couldn’t have been ignored.
“We reached the conclusion that if we approve the start of discussions now, we implicitly approve the provision of macro-financial assistance and thus support the current strategy of the ruling parties, which illustrates the “state capture”. We are increasingly concerned about the transparency in decision-making, the direction of political evolution and I’m thus sure that we took an appropriate decision at an appropriate time,” stated Auštrevičius.
The MEP also said there are many reasons for concern. The first is the concentration of the media in a series of concerns, two of which control over 85% of the advertising market. The second is the lack of transparency in the decisions taken in justice, including those related to the latest arrests that seem to be politically motivated. The last objection is related to the hurried and groundless decision by the government coalition to force the change of the electoral system and this arouses a series of questions.
Asked if the approval of the assistance could be yet delayed, Petras Auštrevičius said this can happen. A plenary sitting will be held in Strasbourg next Monday or Tuesday. The delay will be made public and will be a clear message from the European Parliament for the Moldovan ruling parties.
