The current Parliament managed to overcome the difficult situation witnessed in 2014 and the government installed at the start of 2016 managed to stabilize the situation with the Parliament’s support and this thing was recognized by everyone, including by the International Monetary Fund. The Parliament’s role in a parliamentary republic is very big and the stability of the Government depends on it, politologist Alexandru Solcan stated in the public debate “Place of Parliament of 20th legislature in life of society and in history of Moldovan parliamentarianism” that was the 98th installment of the series of debates “Developing political culture through public debates”, staged by IPN News Agency and Radio Moldova.
According to the politologist, the crisis caused by the banking fraud modified opinions in society. “The pro-European camp lost ground and didn’t represent a majority as the happenings were associated with the ruling parties that declared themselves pro-European. Surely, the opposition exerted great pressure for organizing early elections. The early elections would have massively brought the pro-Russian parties to Parliament,” he stated.
Alexandru Solcan said the context in which the current Parliament worked is also important. Elections took place and these were preceded by the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU, which was beneficial and for which Moldova made considerable effort during the previous legislature. This fact determined the electoral score that was shaped by the geopolitical polarization of society. As a result, about 55 seats of MP were won by declared pro-European parties. “It thus seemed that this direction will be extended and will acquire essence alongside statements. But things turned out to be much more difficult as the financial-banking crisis occurred in parallel and this became known immediately after the elections of 2014 and society exploded in Moldova,” he stated, adding the non-insertion of the European course in the Constitution is a serious failure of the current legislature and this could cost Moldova’s strategic geopolitical course in the future.
Speaking about the Parliament’s relations with different entities, the politologist said these weren’t much more different from the relations seen before the given legislature. “The relationship between the President and Parliament seemed interesting to me. The President was elected by the people and a big dissention appears here. When the President is suspended for particular decisions, the very bad relations between the President and Parliament are evident. On the other hand, the President, who should be the guarantor of the Constitution, actually violates it,” he stated, nothing the government’s idea to hold a referendum on the suspension of the President is discouraged by the President’s stable rating.
As to the external relations established by the current Parliament, Alexandru Solcan said tensions with the European institutions have been recently seen as there are principles and values that the EU tends to apply and the context in the Republic of Moldova intervenes here. However, Parliament cooperated well with countries that face similar problems, such as Ukraine and Georgia, and the rapprochement is beneficial given that Moldova is in the context of a hybrid geopolitical war.
Speaking about the Parliament’s relations with the opposition, the politologist said the latter sets particular limits for the government. “The quality of the opposition determines the quality of the government. We saw that the opposition submitted proposals and the government often undertook them and the opposition criticized them later,” stated Alexandru Solcan, adding the Parliament of the 20th legislature tried to cope with challenges that remained long-term challenges and carried out most of the set tasks given the context and trials.
The debate “Place of Parliament of 20th legislature in life of society and in history of Moldovan parliamentarianism” forms part of the series of debates held by IPN News Agency and Radio Moldova as part of the project “Developing political culture through public debates” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation of Germany.
