The logic of the ruling party can be deciphered by more thoroughly analyzing the interview given by the leader of the PDM, oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc, which was published the next day after the Supreme Court of Justice passed its final judgement (Timpul, June 26, 2018), politologist Dionis Cenusa says in an analysis article for IPN Agency.
First of all, the interview shows that the government wants to create the perception that the “invalidation of elections” is the combined result of justice and the legislation, without invoking external interference whose traces will lead to Russia. Thus, the Democrats do not invoke at all the Russian factor that was earlier regarded as a potential source of interference in elections and also the threat to the country’s information security (IPN, December 11, 2017). Nevertheless, the medical coverage of the adoption of the UN resolution on the complete and immediate withdrawal of the foreign military forces on June 22 was aimed at Russia.
Secondly, Vladimir Plahotniuc admits that alternative measures were taken to make sure that Moldova will receive financial assistance from other sources than the European one. Thus, only three days after the invalidation and following the EU’s announcement about the postponement of the macro-financial assistance, the IMF announces that a new tranche of about US$34 million will be disbursed to Moldova. So, it can be deduced that at least some complications around the elections in Chisinau or even the decision to not validate the elections were planned inside the PDM.
Thirdly, through the interview the leader of the PDM indirectly accuses the EU and other players of exerting pressure on the government of Moldova with the aim of seeing the Chisinau elections validated. In fact, the government substituted the assumption of the own responsibility for discrediting the judicial system with the formulation of accusations of external interference in the decision-making process inside the Moldovan judiciary.
Fourthly and lastly, the leader of the PDM underlined the necessity of avoiding the escalation of the situation, which could be exploited by particular forces from outside, without referring explicitly to Russia.
Thus, on the one hand, this shows the clear intention of the government to demobilize the protests fueled by the opposition forces. On the other hand, the leader of the PDM transmits a very clear message to the European partners by which he shows he wants the EU to contribute to the moderation of the opposition that is decided to transform the “invalidation of elections” into the key message of the election campaign prior to the parliamentary elections of 2018, concluded Dionis Cenusa.
