2007 changed direction of expectations, new politicians started to replace old guard, Viorel Cibotaru

[Info-Prim Neo article from the Series “Moldova-20! Whereto?” [Each of the 20 years of independence in Moldova has its meaning and role in what happened in the period and, undoubtedly, in what is going to happen in the country and the people’s lives in the future. Info-Prim Neo asked politicians, analysts, experts and personalities from different areas to pronounce on the main events that took place during a certain year and assess their impact on the country.] [The year 2007 as seen by political analyst Viorel Cibotaru] • [April 25] – The Common Visa Application Center, housed by the Embassy of Hungary in Chisinau, was inaugurated. • [May 30] – There was signed the Memorandum of Cooperation in European Integration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and Civil Society Organizations of Moldova. • [June 3] – There was held the first round of the local general elections. • [June 17] – There was held the second round of the local general elections. The Liberal Party’s candidate Dorin Chirtoaca was elected Mayor of Chisinau. • [August 24] – The informal Moldova - EU meeting “Current and Future Development Prospects of the Relations between Moldova and the EU” took place in Brussels. • [September 12] – First tanker with oil for Moldova arrived at the oil terminal of the Giurgiulesti port. • [October 10] – The agreement on the facilitation of visa issuing between Moldova and the European Community was signed in Brussels. • [October 10] – The agreement on the readmission of persons staying illegally between Moldova and the European Community was signed in Brussels. • [November 6] – A decree was signed, whereby 2009 was declared the year of celebrating 650 years of the foundation of the Moldovan State. • [November 13] – The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe ratified the agreement on the facilitation of short-stay visa issuing and readmission between Moldova and the European Community. • [December 8] – There was held the constitution congress of the Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM). [Political analyst Viorel Cibotaru] said 2007 was a year of transition. “Analyzing it from political viewpoint, we see that the June 3 local elections changed the spirits in society and the atmosphere following the appearance of new players on the arena. I refer first of all to Dorin Chirtoaca, the Liberal Party’s going into the big politics, which influenced the creation of the Liberal Democratic Party,” said Viorel Cibotaru. According to him, the Democratic Party was also in ascension in 2007. After the Moldova Noastra Bloc fell apart, it became stronger and started to play a visible role, while Dumitru Diacov became a much more prominent political figure. With the appearance of the PLDM, the opposition got a new configuration and, from that moment, there started a massive, serious and irrevocable transfer of sympathies from those who voted for the PPCD and other smaller parties to the PL and PLDM. The rating of the PCRM decreased. It lost the elections in a number of districts. The dream that the PRCM was invincible in elections was debunked. The opposition strengthened positions and the Moldova-EU Plan of Action was fulfilled. In 2007, the Moldova-NATO Plan of Action that was launched in 2006 started to be determinedly carried out. The analyst said that in 2007 Moldova began to firmly follow the Europeanization process. There was created the national commission for working out the national security strategy, which was a key moment in the implementation of the Individual Plan with NATO. 2007 was marked by the rupture in the relations with the former personal supporters of Vladimir Voronin – Ukraine (Viktor Yushchenko) and Georgia (Mikhail Saakashvili). The non-fulfillment of the Yushchenko Plan for solving the Transnistrian conflict, which was partially materialized in the law of August 2005, led to the serious deterioration in the relations in 2007. The relations between Moldova and Romania also worsened and the discussions reached a heated level. Under Russia’s more or less evident pressure, the relations with GUAM also became worse, said Viorel Cibotaru. He also said that 2007 saw the change of the political figures. Two emergent parties became parliamentary parties, the PDM revived and the three parties formed a new majority together with the Moldova Noastra Alliance. He also said that the direction of expectations changed in 2007 and new politicians replaced the old guard. As to the independence, Viorel Cibotaru said the events of 1991 have been thoroughly prepared. “The signing of the Declaration of Independence represented the start of the divorce from the USSR. It began before 1991, but the first part finished in 1991. In fact, this divorce continues nowadays,” he said. According to the analyst, progress in the European integration process was made in 1997 – 1998, but the coming of the Communists to power slowed down the Europeanization process. The PCRM was propelled to power by the people’s nostalgia, but when it faced the realities it had to accept that stereotype of decisions that most of the people wanted. “The year 2005 was very important. Then the PCRM pursued the Europeanization process without much love, but at least it overcame that stagnation from the start of the government period,” said Viorel Cibotaru. The analyst stated that Moldova is now in a much better situation as regards the European integration. The technical decisions depend not on the EU, but on Moldova’s ability to survive and take difficult steps in order to come closer to the European economy. {Viorel Cibotaru heads the European Institute for Political Studies. He was director of the Security and Information Service, being simultaneously expert in security matters. He was editor-in-chief of the weekly “Oastea Moldovei" (“Moldova’s Army”), which was a publication of the Ministry of the Defense issued in 1992-1995. He then worked for the Ministry of Defense (1995-1999) and was deputy commander of Moldova’s peacekeeping forces (1999). In 2000-2006, he was program director at the Public Policy Institute, while since 2006 – director of the Invisible College. In 2008, he was named head of the NATO Information and Documentation Center. In 2009-2010, he was employed by the Swish agency DCAF (Democratic Control of Armed Forces) in Nepal to work within a project to reform the security sector of this country.} [Dumitrita Ciuvaga, Info-Prim Neo]