The geopolitical factor is not absent from the Moldovan post-electoral developments. While the EU is attentively monitoring the interactions between the parliamentary parties, Russia uses its leverage to influence the direction of discussions on the formation of the government, politologist Dionis Cenușa stated in a feature article for IPN Agency.
According to the expert, the warning issued by Moscow through its key propagandist Dmitry Kiselyov led to the rejection of any coalition between the PSRM and DPM, which was among the probable scenarios of the Socialists promoted even by Igor Dodon.
He reminded that behind the screen of a final decision taken by its National Council on April 12, the PSRM fully rejected a DPM-PSRM coalition under the attack of Russian propaganda. Also, all Socialists’ efforts were aimed at the discussions with ACUM, which is accepted by Russia as a coalition partner, at least more than the DPM is.
ACUM’s refusal to form a majority with the PSRM creates preconditions for the appearance of a political conflict that can ultimately benefit the Democrats. Out of the need to distract the public from the penetration of the Russian factor in its own decisions, the Socialists interpret ACUM’s refusal to form a coalition by invoking the existence of “attacks from the Western structures”.
Dionis Cenușa noted the leaders of ACUM tie the swift resumption of the foreign assistance intended for Moldova to the creation of a “minority government”, implementation of the de-oligarchization package and return to the proportional voting system.
In reality, the EU didn’t say its financial assistance would be unfrozen depending on the format of the future parliamentary majority or on Socialists’ non-participation in governance. Ensuring free elections was the EU’s main request when it suspended its assistance.
Even if the election results weren’t assessed as excellent, Brussels didn’t contest them.
On the contrary, the European side expressed its readiness to further promote reforms based on the provisions of the Association Agreement, while the areas that, according to the EU, necessitate reforms, include the electoral legislation, fight against corruption and de-politicization of institutions. The same actions are reflected in the de-oligarchization package of ACUM.
From the post-electoral reaction by which it accentuated the necessity of reforms, the EU entered a silent regime. Instead, the Bloc ACUM started to use the European agenda to strengthen its argument in favor of the formation of a “minority government” with the help of the votes from PSRM, concluded Dionis Cenușa.
