The European Union will continue to cooperate with the new Government that will result from the current political process on the basis of the existing framework – the Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the EU. Also, this cooperation will be based on the fulfilment of the conditions that were communicated to the Republic of Moldova the previous years, stated the Head of the EU Delegation to Moldova Peter Michalko. In an interview for IPN, he said the EU expects that the partners from the future Government will do their best to achieve progress in implementing the Association Agreement whose provisions are designed to make the lives of the citizens of Moldova better.
The ambassador said the European Union attentively followed the developments before the February parliamentary elections, the election day and the period after the announcement of the results. He noted it is important to say that the elections showed the people’s wish, but these took place with rather significant problems. According to Peter Michalko, this was a risk that was evident before the elections, together with the replacement of the electoral system contrary to the recommendations of the Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR. On this issue, the EU stated its position very clearly. It is important not to repeat in the future the emphasized election-related problems.
The Head of the EU Delegation stated the elected politicians who received the people’s trust should now take decisions to meet people’s expectations. “I want to underline that the relations between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova, which are based on the Association Agreement, and this year it is the fifth anniversary of its signing, annually become closer and stronger. And it is now important that all the political forces in Moldova regard this basis of relations and this framework suitable for the future too,” said Peter Michalko.
The European official noted the rule of law and justice should be a priority and the expectation is that the new government majority will be formed in a standard and transparent way, by respecting the voters’ will, but not by methods that would generate risks or suspicions of corruption or use of selective justice. The cooperation with the new Government will be based on the existing framework, with emphasis on the conditions that were communicated to Moldova earlier. These concern the implementation of reforms, continuation of the Association Agenda and the political preconditions that were also introduced in the Memorandum for Macro-Financial Assistance, which refer to the democratic process, the rule of law standards, the pluralist multiparty political system, the freedom of the media, etc.
