Prime Minister Pavel Filip says that President Igor Dodon has not given up his partisan clothes and is representing only those who share his views, instead of trying to build a bridge towards those who didn’t vote for him or share other values and preferences. In an interview for IPN on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of Moldova’s Independence, the PM said that democracy is not based on unanimity, which could be unhealthy, and that the diversity of opinions is normal
“I would prefer to have consensus on important issues, but Moldova is still a country with many tensions and fractures, so that it’s hard to find common ground concerning the main topics. I hope that as our reform efforts bear fruits, the pro-European majority will grow considerably. The government represents everyone as its main priority is the well-being of citizens, without any discrimination, and this is what we are working for. There’s an English expression that I like - “to lead by example”, to speak through your results and the public behavior you impose. That’s how we understand the purpose of governing and that’s how we are working for a government representing all Moldovan citizens”, said the PM.
According to him, the sharing of power between the government and the President is real. On one hand, the government is legitimized by the trust of the Parliament, the fundamental institution of the state, but on the other hand, the President has been recently and directly elected by the people. “As many others, I can hear this cacophony, this speech with two voices. Certainly, I would’ve preferred unity and coordination, at least on important matters like European integration, foreign policy, defense. However, we don’t have it and it’s not the fault of the government”, Filip commented on the fact that the top Moldovan authorities are sending totally different messages at home and abroad.
The head of the government stressed that Moldova is a parliamentary republic and that the Parliament must have the last word. He assured that the differences between the President and the government won’t paralyze decision-making and that there are sufficient tools to govern the country and adopt the necessary measures. “As a democracy and a state, we are improving, we are learning day by day from this practice of shared exercise of power. It’s not the best scenario and President Dodon’s public speech and actions worry us. Nevertheless, as I said, we are governing and we will wisely prevent this sharing of power from becoming harmful to Moldova or its citizens”, promised the official.
Editor’s note: The full version of the interview with PM Pavel Filip, titled “I’m proud that Moldova has finally found its way – towards the EU”, will be published on Thursday, August 24, 2017.
