IPN on October 16 published an OP-ED article entitled “European integration, pro-European unionism and defects of Moldovan government”, which was written by expert in political sciences Dionis Cenusa. The author says the inefficiency of Moldovan governments is the main source that fuels unionism. Even if the European integration offers the instruments needed to build new or additional institutional and financial capacities to improve the living conditions of the population, its potential is poorly realized. That’s why each failure of the pro-European governments advantaged the unionist forces and not only. The expansion of unionism serves as a stimulus for the pro-Russian parties that ably exploit the geopolitical phobias of the public for obtaining electoral gains. The competition between the project of European integration as an independent state and, respectively, the pro-European unionism entails double political gains for the pro-Russian forces. On the one hand, this mobilizes the social categories sensible to political approaches. On the other hand, this discredits simultaneously the European integration and unionism, both being described as destabilizing elements for Moldovan statehood and the values on which this is based (Russian Orthodoxy, etc.). Read more…
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A twinning project entitled “Strengthening the capacities of Moldova’s Parliament in the process of adjusting the national legislation to the EU legislation” was launched in Chisinau. Its goal is to strengthen the legislature’s institutional capacity to better understand the process of adjusting the national legislation to the EU’s, in accordance with the Association Agenda. Special emphasis is placed on the modernization of the bodies and internal procedures and building of the capacities of the Parliament’s technical personnel. The project’s mission is to optimize the role and responsibilities of Parliament, its working bodies and relevant administrative bodies for ensuring a solid institutional framework with the aim of efficiently fulfilling the legislative duties, especially the task of harmonizing the legislation as a precondition for implementing the Association Agreement. Read more...
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The quality of the political class in Moldovan society leaves to be desired. The political parties are not trusted by the people and this attitude is influenced by the discrepancy between words in the election campaign and post-campaign deeds, director of the Association for Participatory Democracy (ADEPT) Igor Botan, the IPN project’s standing expert, stated in the debate “Quality of the political class: importance, current state and ways of improvement” that was staged by IPN News Agency and Radio Moldova. Igor Botan said the political class usually identifies itself with the group of people who adopt major decisions, formulate politics in this regard, work out programs and are responsible for their implementation. Speaking about the quality of the political class and its profoundness, Igor Botan said these can be deduced from the electoral programs of parties that are represented in the legislature and form part of the political class, while the assessment of the political class is available through opinion polls. The expert noted that Moldova orients itself to the European area and thus gave as example the UK, where the political class, to the detriment of its interests, does things that it does not want to, but does these so as not to allow for discrepancy between deeds and words. It happened in the case of the Brexit, for example. Read more...
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The Moldovan politicians represent the real state in society and this applies not only to Moldova. The political class should realize that it should not bring politicians from abroad, but should reach a consensus, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Moldova Vitalie Gamurari said in the public debate “Quality of the political class: importance, current state and ways of improvement” that was held by IPN News Agency and Radio Moldova. He noted that the promotion of young people and new persons in politics will be to Moldova’s benefit. Vitalie Gamurari also referred to the assertions that the political parties in the Republic of Moldova are often like limited liability companies and this is a problem that should be overcome. In comparison with the European states, Moldova has yet a lot to do to ensure political maturity and the discussions and debates inside the political class can bring benefits in this regard. Read more...
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Corruption is the worst phenomenon for any society and is even worse for a society in transition, said the Head of the EU Delegation to Moldova Peter Michalko. The ambassador stated that the fight against corruption is one of the main criteria on which the EU assistance for Moldova and the cooperation are based. Peter Michalko noted the EU wants the Republic of Moldova to be a democratic state and thus requests to meet criteria related to human rights, observance of democratic norms when implementing the controversial mixed electoral system, implicitly to maintain a multiparty political system, the independence of justice and freedom of the media. As to the EU macro-financial assistance, Peter Michalko said its provision will depend on the assessment of the situation after the adoption of the new electoral system. Asked why the Europeans integration could not become a national idea among the ordinary people, the diplomat stated he does not agree that the ordinary people do not support the European integration process. What is important is to know better what this thing means and how their lives can improve if Moldova is developed based on cooperation relations with the EU. With the existing instruments, like the Association Agreement and the assistance from the EU, the Republic of Moldova and its people can reach the European. Read more...
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The Moldovan-Ukrainian relations this year have been marked by a number of events, including the celebration of 25 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations. After a pause of several years, the Prime Minister of Ukraine paid a visit to Moldova, where he signed a number of agreements, including the roadmap for developing the Moldovan-Ukrainian cooperation for 2018. In such conditions, a strategy and a more advanced strategic partnership are needed. Such suggestions were formulated in a press club meeting. Foreign Policy Association (APE) executive director Victoria Bucataru said that Ukraine is an important partner in the European development process and an important component in the Transnistrian conflict settlement process. The two states should adopt a common approach to a number of issues, either economic or political, because the region has development potential and these opportunities should be used. APE programs director Natalia Stercul said that in the reunification area, Moldova and Ukraine cooperate intensely, but there is yet room for developing crossborder cooperation. It is very important to make use of the European assistance and good practices in developing the Moldovan-Ukrainian relations, including through the EUBAM Mission. Read more...
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The executive on October 18 approved the initiation of talks on the signing of an agreement to extend the mandate of the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM) until November 30, 2020. The mandate of the EUBAM that was launched by the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the three sides on October 7, 2005 expires on November 30, 2017. This last extension, as the previous ones, was requested by the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. According to the authorities, the EUBAM contributed to developing the border management procedures so that these meet the European standards and stimulate mutual trips and the development of trade, increasing regional security. The extension of the Mission’s mandate will enable Moldova to fulfill the commitments to meet the requirements for instituting the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area as part of the Association Agreement. Read more...
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Students and teachers of the Theoretical Lyceum “Stefan cel Mare si Sfant” of Grigoriopol, which is now based in Dorotcaia, together with representatives of Promo-LEX Association, on October 19 mounted a protest in front of the Embassy of Russia in Chisinau. They demanded to ensure the right to education in the Transnistrian region and to implement the ECHR judgment passed five years ago, by which Russia was found guilty of violating the right to education of 170 plaintiffs. Director of the Theoretical Lyceum “Stefan cel Mare si Sfant” of Grigoriopol Eleonora Cherkavski said that their right to education has been violated for ten years. Though the ECHR did justice to them five years ago, the struggle continues because nothing has changed. The protesters later marched to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and to the Presidential Building to demand that the authorities should take steps for the ECHR judgment of October 19, 2012 to be implemented and the right to education on the left side of the Nistru to be respected. Read more...
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Former President of Romania Traian Basescu said his role in Moldovan politics, as the president of honor of the National Unity Party, is to persuade as many citizens as possible to support the union of the two Romanian states, Romania and Moldova. Speaking at a press club meeting with Romanian language journalists on October 19, Traian Basescu reiterated that only the union with Romania can bring Moldova closer to the European Union. Speaking about Moldova’s European perspective, the ex-President said the EU enlargement priorities are centered on the Balkan area. During the next 15-20 years, the EU will have no extension objective covering Moldova. “The Prut is the EU’s eastern border. The Republic of Moldova has the chance of remaining with the Association Agreement at most,” he said, adding that the shortest road to Brussels goes through Bucharest. Read more...
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The Liberal Party issued a press release informing about the intention of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe to ask for the Venice Commission’s opinion about the local referendum on the dismissal of Dorin Chirtoaca from the post of mayor general of Chisinau municipality that will be held on November 19. The party makes reference to a recent resolution whereby the Congress expresses its concern about the non-observance of a number of articles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government. According to the Liberal Party, the Congress notes that the elected mayor of Chisinau was illegally suspended by a judicial authority and the anticorruption prosecutor illegally requested the Municipal Council, on his own initiative, to ask the court to initiate the procedures for suspending the mayor. In the view of the Congress, these are interference and risks of politicizing the legal system in the absence of regulations that would govern the specific procedures for suspending a local elected official. Read more...
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The institutional reform in the Republic of Moldova is delayed owing to the government’s low interest in really reforming the National Integrity Agency (NIA) and owing to the insufficient clarity of the current legislation. For its part, the delay in reorganizing the NIA endangers the property and personal interests monitoring activity. The property and interest statements for 2015 and 2016 risk remaining unchecked, says a study that was presented in a public debate on October 20. According to the study, the delay in the institutional reform is due to legal and institutional problems and to possible political and financial constraints. The decisive external factor in creating the National Integrity Center and, later, in reforming this into the National Integrity Authority was rather a result of the pressure exerted by GRECO and the European Union. Read more...
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After the EU last week announced that the last tranche of €28 million in support of the justice sector reform will not be transferred to Moldova, the European Parliament now also considers freezing the €100 million in macro-financial assistance intended for Moldova, which was agreed in Strasbourg in July. The European People’s Party group is making effort to convince the other political groups to support a resolution to this effect, which could be put to the vote next week, said Bulgarian MEP Andrey Kovatchev, one of the initiators of the document. “Some say we should continue to support the Moldovan budget so that reforms are continued as the money is ultimately intended for the Moldovan citizens. We do not yet believe in words. The Moldovan authorities can no longer do whatever they want and expect the EU to continue to pay,” stated the MEP. Read more...
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The Moldova – EU Interparliamentary Committee meets in Strasbourg in France on October 25 and 26. Deputy Speaker of Parliament Iurie Leanca, after the meeting of the Parliamentary Council for European Integration in the evening of October 20, said they agreed an agenda that covers the key problems of Moldova, the reforms under implementation and the problems faced in the bilateral relations between Moldova and the EU. Read more…
The summary of news from the IPN series “European Integration” is produced with support from the Hanns Seidel Foundation of Germany and can be further disseminated on condition that the source is indicated.
