Study “Moldova. At a Crossroads” launched in Chisinau

Soros Romania Foundation presented the study “Moldova. At a Crossroads” in Chisinau. The study is an analysis of the political situation and the situation of the mass media that provides a coherent and detailed perspective on the state of democracy in Moldova in the middle of 2009, before the early parliamentary elections, and on the relations with Romania and the European Union, Info-Prim Neo reports. The study is written in three languages – Romanian, Russian and English. It speaks about the deterioration of the public life in Moldova. The Communists Party's attack on the political pluralism as well as the political control in justice and economy are only some of the violations of the democratic norms described in the work. According to the Romanian journalists and foreign experts quoted in the study, the press in Moldova is not free as it is used as instrument for exerting political influence, not as means for correctly informing the public. “We wanted to present a Romanian perspective on the reality in Moldova. Why? Because in Romania we do not have sufficient information, but the issue of Moldova should be on our agenda,” Soros Romania president Ilona Mihaies said at the launch on October 23. The director of the Romanian Center for European Policies Cristian Ghinea, who wrote the chapter titled “Relations between Moldova and the EU and Romania's Role”, said effort is needed for Brussels to speak more about Moldova. “If Moldova does what it should at home, the attitude towards it must change. There is yet a dilemma: the EU will not become more generous, but will demand more and the Moldovan authorities should find a balance,” Ghinea said. Stefan Candea, deputy director of the Romanian Center for Investigative Journalism, who wrote the chapter about the business climate in Moldova, said the business environment in Moldova was and continues to be corrupt and is under the political influence of a party in favor of the family of the former president of Moldova, Vladimir Voronin. Speaking about the observance of the human rights, Stefan Candea said that Moldova has a perfect legislation, which is not yet implemented. “The law and the legal system were discredited by the political elite. The creation of the parliamentary commission for the investigation of the April events is a very clear sign that things go in the right direction,” the author said. Attending the launch, Moldovan MP Corina Fusu, chairwoman of the parliamentary commission for culture, education, youth, research and mass media, said that Moldova is close to leaving behind the past connected with the Soviet Union and the Soviet mentality promoted by the PCRM”. “We must communicate intensely so that the EU is sure that the present government is capable of bringing stability and implementing reforms. I'm glad that Romania found time to look at Moldova,” Corina Fusu said. Constantin Marin, a member of the senate of Soros Moldova and dean of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Sciences of the State University of Moldova, said the study outlines what's happening in Moldova and gives answers to a number of questions. “After the 1990s, we have been at several crossroads. Today we are at a new crossroads and this study comes with a possible interpretation,” Constantin Marin said. The study “Moldova. At a Crossroads” was produced as part of the Soros Romania Foundation's Bridging Moldova Program. It was launched first in Bucharest on October 2.