Presse Release

about the organization of the debate „The Alliance consists of allies, while the government team of fellow members? The culture of political relations in government: manifestations, stakes and effects” within the project “Developing political culture in public debates. Series of public debates held by Info-Prim Neo news agency in its conference room”, supported by German Foundation “Hanns Seidel”

The fourth debate in the series took place on May 29, 2012 and was followed by another two on May 20, 2012 and June 7, 2012. All three debates were planned concomitantly and organized one after another, according to a complex thematic plan applied for the first time by the Agency. The debates tackled the culture of political relations on three levels: 1)between parties of the governing alliance; 2)between governing parties and the parliamentary opposition; 3) between the government and the extra-parliamentary opposition. Such an approach assured a profound and detailed examination of debated problems and qualified and representative participants in the discussion.

During the debate on May 29, the state of affairs in the domain of political culture was analyzed on three other levels: Parliament-Parliament, Government-Government, Government-Parliament. Parliamentary factions were represented by Valeriu Strelet, head of the Liberal-Democratic Party faction, and Oleg Tulea, MP of the Democratic Party of Moldova. The Executive was represented by Minister of Economy and Deputy Prime Minister Valeriu Lazar, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasile Bumacov and Minister of Environment Gheorghe Salaru. The three ministers also represented the governing parties- PDM, PLDM and the Liberal Party.

The guests were joined by experts Ecaterina Mardarovici, executive director of Women’s Political Club 50/50 and former MP, and Igor Botan, head of the Association for Participative Democracy ADEPT. They discussed various aspects of the political culture of relations between governing parties, the current situation and the tendencies during years of coalition government, the objective and subjective reasons of relations, the threats to society and government posed by primitive communication, the role of party leaders as models for the members of their parties and for society, etc. The participants in the debate agreed that things in the sphere of political culture can and must improve, as they actually do, but way too slow. They stressed that political culture of relations between governing parties meant that they shouldn’t be hostile and cannot harm the implementation of the government program.

The Agency published four reports (check the English version of www.info-prim.md) on 29.05.12, „A coalition government cannot rapidly promote reforms, minister” - http://info-prim.md/?a=10&nD=2012/05/29&ay=46741, on 30.05.12 „Ministers experience additional discomfort in a coalition government ” - http://info-prim.md/?a=10&nD=2012/05/30&ay=46746 , „AEI’s actions are perceived like obscure interests” - http://info-prim.md/?a=10&nD=2012/05/30&ay=46751, and „Citizens can have grater expectations of government, minister” - http://info-prim.md/?a=10&nD=2012/05/30&ay=46769 .

The Agency filmed and archived footage of the fourth public debate of the project.

Valeriu Vasilică, director of Info-Prim Neo
May 31, 2012