Press Release
on the organization of the debate “Reforming of Moldovan-Russian relations after presidential elections: problems, solutions, priorities”. Developing Political Culture through Public Debates”. Public debates series held by the news agency IPN in its conference room with the support of the German Foundation “Hanns Seidel”

Held on 07 December 2020, Debate No.161 brought together: Valeriu Ostalep, expert in international relations and security, expert Mihai Mogîldea, team leader at the Institute for European Policies and Reforms and Dionis Cenușa, a political scientist, researcher at the Institute of Political Sciences at Liebig-Justus University in Giessen, Germany.

A new, for now informal alliance was formed in Parliament between the Socialist group and the Platform “For Moldova” (which consists of the group of the Shor Party and unaffiliated MPs). At the same time, the protest mounted yesterday showed that the citizens are dissatisfied with the way the Government managed the pandemic crisis and with the way the political parties acted in Parliament the past week, to the detriment of the people’s will, said experts invited to IPN’s public debate “Reforming of Moldova-Russian relations after presidential elections: problems, solutions, priorities”.

Valeriu Ostalep, expert in international relations and security, said there is no enigma in what’s going on in Parliament and it’s absolutely clear that a new alliance was formed. “The Socialists are experts, specialists and champions in inventing formulas that hide the reality, but each person who understands something in politics realizes that we have an alliance between the Socialists, the Shor Party and the formally unaffiliated MPs. It’s clear that there is an alliance,” he stated, noting it is evident that the Socialists will do their best to avoid snap elections or at least to dally things as the snap elections in the nearest future for the Socialists and for Igor Dodon in particular are not only a political catastrophe. There are serious preconditions for holding many accountable. Therefore, they will mimic, will create more problems to President-elect Maia Sandu so as to destabilize the situation in the country and to keep the mechanisms of control over the power and maintain their political influence.

Expert Mihai Mogîldea, team leader at the Institute for European Policies and Reforms, said the events that took place in the Great Nations Assembly Square on December 6 only confirmed once again that Moldova’s population and particular social sections suffer because of the pandemic and are also dissatisfied with the way the Government managed the pandemic crisis and with the way the political parties acted in Parliament the past week, to the detriment of the people’s will expressed in the presidential elections of last month. “What we saw is partially a manifestation of despair and dissatisfaction with this political corps, political bodies, parties that informally formed a coalition - the Party of Socialists and the Parliamentary Group “’for Moldova” - that will be probably legalized in the nearest future. All these things, primarily the fact that these parties ignore the voters’ will and the vote of confidence given to President Maia Sandu by adopting such laws as that on the SIS, made the dissatisfaction among the people grow. The protest is a proof of this and if the Government and Parliament do not react to this dissatisfaction, the protests can continue in the immediate period.

Dionis Cenușa, a political scientist, researcher at the Institute of Political Sciences at Liebig-Justus University in Giessen, said he follows a rather logical scenario of the opposition (PAS and PPPDA), which is trying to make use of the success achieved in the presidential elections and thus exerts pressure on the Government and on the yet informal majority between the PSRM and the Shor Party so as to obtain a benefit in any situation: the Government leaves under the pressure of the protests that will yet continue and the opposition shows clear signs that it wants to continue the protests, or the Government does not leave, but the opposition accumulates negative votes against Igor Dodon, continuing the anti-Dodon message until the snap parliamentary elections. The protests that started last Sunday will continue on December 10 and it will be then evident how well the opposition parties can mobilize the people. The continuation of this “scenario” is aimed at maximizing the result of the presidential elections in the eventuality of snap parliamentary elections.

The Agency published 5 news stories on the debate (see the English version of www.ipn.md): on 07.12.20, „ Reforming of Moldovan-Russian relations after presidential elections: problems, solutions, priorities. IPN debate” -  https://www.ipn.md/en/reforming-of-moldovan-russian-relations-after-presidential-elections-problems-solutions-8004_1078217.html ; „Experts about actions on the streets and in Parliament” -  https://www.ipn.md/en/experts-about-actions-on-the-streets-and-in-parliament-7978_1078215.html; on 08.12.20 „Mihai Mogîldea formulates recommendations for President-elect for reforming Moldovan-Russian relations” - https://www.ipn.md/en/mihai-mogildea-formulates-recommendations-for-president-elect-for-reforming-moldovan-8004_1078220.html; „ Valeriu Ostalep: Politicians dare to ignore us because we do not penalize them” - https://www.ipn.md/en/valeriu-ostalep-politicians-dare-to-ignore-us-because-we-do-8004_1078229.html; “Dionis Cenușa: Moldova will not have a constructive relationship with Russia as long as institutions are politicized”- https://www.ipn.md/en/dionis-cenusa-moldova-will-not-have-a-constructive-relationship-with-8004_1078227.html.  

Valeriu Vasilica, director of IPN