Moldova’s new Prime Minister, Natalia Gavrilița, gets more excited when she talks about fighting corruption than about EU enlargement. Her country broke out of the Soviet Union 30 years ago and signed a trade treaty with the EU in 2014. It was never invited to join Europe, the way neighboring Romania and Western Balkan states were, EUobserver reports in connection with the Moldovan Premier’s visit to Brussels.
But when asked by EUobserver in Brussels on 27 September if Moldovan people understood EU enlargement policy, Gavrilița said: “People understand that consecutive governments in Moldova lied to them, stole from them, lost time on reform”.
And when asked if the EU ought to be sending more positive messages on enlargement to her region than it has done of late, Gavrilița was more interested in European help on Moldova’s international fugitives.
“Many of the people involved in the banking scandal, in the Russian Laundromat are abroad and we really need international support in going after them,” she said.
“For example, Mr Platon is in London, Mr Shor is in Israel. Mr Plahutnik - we don't know for sure, but we think he's in Cyprus. They have properties, accounts in Europe. This is also part of building trust in the state ... to ensure these people don’t enjoy a European way of life after stealing from the Moldovan people,” she added..
“These are the people at the top of the pyramid, but the pyramid is large. Many other people are also on so-called vacations [in Europe],” Gavrilița noted.
Referring to the obstacles faced by Moldova, EUobserver mentioned Russia, which has 1,400 soldiers and a massive ammunitions dump in Moldova’s Transnistrian region, amounting to an occupation force in the breakaway territory.
It also imposed trade sanctions on Moldova when it showed interest in closer EU ties.
Russia might also use its monopoly on Moldova’s gas supplies to exert pressure.
“We really hope they won't. We’re in discussions now to extend the gas supply contract on current terms,” Gavrilița said.
Meanwhile, her government was promoting reunification by making Moldova-proper "more attractive" and by reaching out to ordinary people, for instance by offering EU paid-for vaccines to Transnistria, she noted.
