Political culture in Moldova is 'catastrophic'

Political culture in Moldova is either nonexistent or is in a catastrophic state, think the experts and MPs that gathered Friday for a debate on the theme: “The culture of the political relationship between the government and opposition”, organized by Info-Prim Neo. Communist MP Sergiu Sirbu stated that there is no political culture in Moldova and the situation is getting worse. “I don't think there is a government and opposition in Moldova; there are two adverse camps engaged in a cruel, vicious political war, where the end justifies the means”. He went on to declare that the actual opposition in Moldova is the Eurointegration Alliance, “because they have placed themselves in opposition to the people of Moldova”. “In these three years, the government has assassinated democracy and rule of law. This is their daily routine: to bulldoze over all our principles, including the moral and Christian principles”, added the Communist MP. Political culture in Moldova has its defects, but it is continuously evolving, stated Liberal-Democratic MP Iurie Chiorescu. “Today we are contributing to the development of a political culture that is participatory rather than merely declaratory. Political culture is crucial in shaping a new democracy. No doubt, Moldova is somewhat backward as regards political culture, but we should remember that political culture is part of culture in general”, said Chiorescu, adding that political culture has geopolitical, economic and cultural implications. “Unfortunately, politicians talk a lot about political culture, but in practice they often demonstrate a lack of it”, said Democrat MP Stela Jantuan. “Concerning the traditional exchange of remarks between the government and opposition, I think this is a natural situation that the opposition and the government are in an antagonistic relationship. The opposition will never agree with what the government does and the government will criticize the opposition. At the same time, if the opposition seeks to challenge the government, it would be a normal thing if it came to Parliament and expressed the interests of its voters”. Liberal MP Valeriu Munteanu stated that Moldova was deprived of 200 years of democracy due to occupation and communism, and the country had very few periods when such notions as communication and political culture could develop. He said that one should not only understand political culture as how politicians communicate with one another; it is also about how the government and opposition understand their functions. Presidential adviser and spokesperson Vlad Turcanu said President Nicolae Timofti will intervene to mediate conflicts between the government and opposition whenever they escalate. Turcanu added that the President will also mediate conflicts between the member parties of the ruling alliance, “because society has signaled the existence of a form of communication withing the Alliance that extends far beyond the norm”. The adviser also revealed that the President's Office is considering a bill on opposition that will grant the latter a number of privileges. The state of political culture in Moldova is “more than upsetting; it is catastrophic”, says Mihai Godea, the leader of the Democratic Action Party. “There is no political culture because there is no political elite, actually. For 20 years now our politicians haven't grown to behave like a true elite of a nation. This comes from lack of education”. Political culture is a reflection of the overall level of culture in society, thinks Vasile Bolea, a member of the Socialist Party's Board. He said that in a largely rural country like Moldova, politicians come from a largely rural society and this defines their level of culture. “There is a political war going on in Moldova for two decades now. (...) It is up to the government to end it, not the opposition”, said Vasile Bolea. The event was part of the project “Developing Political Culture through Public Debates”, implemented with the support of the German foundation Hanns Seidel. The participants in the event praised the idea, saying that society needs such kinds of discussions to better understand governance and the role of direct participation.