“We see all the good intentions and all the good arguments, but what will really count is the implementation of these intentions and the real capacity to put in place changes in the country. In this spirit, what we want to do is to keep accompanying and supporting reforms in Moldova,” stated EU diplomacy chief Federica Mogherini during a debate in the European Parliament on the situation in Moldova.
According to the European official, it is commendable that Moldova now has a government with a bold programme to tackle corruption and reform the country. The government’s program has at its core many of the priorities that are clearly spelled out in the EU-Moldova Association Agreement, including the fight against corruption, independence of the judiciary and improving the electoral framework. “These are not demands that come from the European Union. These are demands that come from the people of Moldova, which the European Union is ready to support,” said Federica Mogherini.
David McAllister (EPP Group), chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was “more than happy” that Moldova “has finally begun turning from a captured state into a recovering democracy”. The MEP suggested that Moldova’s reform agenda should address social divisions, including through inter-party dialogue in the Moldovan Parliament.
Dominique Bilde (ID Group) says that if Moldova has demonstrated anything, it is its ability to arrive at autonomous, albeit precarious, national solutions. The MEP criticized the EU’s strategy on Moldova as one that hasn’t succeeded in “conquering hearts and souls” despite the multitude of “so-called reform programs”. She concluded that with Moldova, Brussels will have to take into account Russia’s interests in the shared neighborhood for many years to come.
Siegfried Mureșan (EPP Group) said that today Moldova has “the most pro-European government in the last 30 years”. The European Union can help this government by unfreezing financial assistance as soon as possible and through as many visits as possible of European officials to Chisinau to send a signal of support and to talk about the benefits of the EU.
Traian Băsescu (EPP Group) urged the European Union to give Moldova a European perspective, or else the country will “remain as it has been for a long time.” According to the former Romanian president, “Moldova’s problem is that it doesn’t know what the future holds”, as the EU “is reluctant to give it a clear prospect of EU membership.”
