Reform is done not for Europeans, but for Moldovan people, justice minister

The partially painful transformations in the legal system are done not for the EU. Moldova does not try to create a product for export. The Moldovan people are those who must benefit from an equitable public service called justice, Minister of Justice Oleg Efrim said in an interview for Info-Prim Neo of the series “Year 2012 in Moldova’s and Moldovans’ life”,{which was published on December 17, 2012}. However, Oleg Efrim said that these reforms cannot be done without the support provided by the EU. The €60 million offered for the implementation of reforms in justice until 2014, which represents over half of the necessary sum, is a considerable support. “It’s true that we must manage this money very efficiently. We must think how to ensure real changes in justice, not only to meet the permanent requests to increase the resources in the legal system,” he stated. According to him, the money cannot change the mentality and servilism. “We must avoid regarding the reform as a necessity of resources. We need a real change that would ensure independence in justice,” he said. Oleg Efrim said the people at the Ministry of Justice and in the Government realize the importance of this moment and the importance in general of the changes required in justice. But the initiative from inside comes with delay and means are needed to catalyze the change of mentality and attitude of those working in the legal system. “This critical mass that is needed to ensure the changes from inside will appear because new people enter the legal system and there are enough persons with integrity in the system who no longer want to be associated with those who are considered corrupt and nonprofessional. A special role is played by the Supreme Council of Magistrates that must ensure the cleaning of the system from incompetent and corrupt persons. “We managed to increase the 2013 budget for justice by 55% and this budget will rise at least until 2016. We never had such a large budget for justice. I’m sure that the reactions from inside will come and we will stimulate them to appear,” stated the official The interview with Oleg Efrim continues the series of 12 Info-Prim Prim Neo interviews of the series “Year 2012 in Moldova’s and Moldovans’ life. Until now, their opinions about the performance of the passing year have been stated by Prime Minister Vlad Filat, the leader of the Communist Party Vladimir Voronin, the Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova Jennifer Brush, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Valeriu Lazar. The next interviews will be with Mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vasile Bumacov and others.