The idea of holding a referendum on European integration should have come from the pro-European parties. As it comes from President Maia Sandu and the ruling party, this idea becomes vulnerable, political commentator Anatol Țăranu stated in a public debate staged by IPN News Agency. According to him, the stake of the referendum is electoral in character and is meant to extrapolate citizens’ support for the European course to the ruling party and President Sandu.
The political commentator noted that a referendum on Moldova’s accession to the European Union would have been opportune at the end of the accession negotiations. The fact that the plebiscite was announced by President Sandu and the PAS government induces the idea that this referendum is used for electoral purposes.
“European common law says that the referendum must be held when the country is ready for integration. This puts an end to a process that lasts. The fact that the idea of the referendum was launched simultaneously with President Maia Sandu’s acceptance to run for a second term gives the impression that this initiative was coordinated with the electoral interest of the President and the ruling party. Hence the idea that this initiative has a well-pronounced electoral tinge. According to the idea of the author of this initiative, the referendum comes to bring electoral added value to Maia Sandu and PAS in the presidential election. Whether this is so or not, we will see in the presidential election. It is a political decision taken by politicians who pursue their interests and who assume the inherent risks,” said Anatol Țăranu.
He noted that the stake of the initiative’s authors is to use for political purposes the popular support for the European integration. However, there is a risk that not all supporters of European integration will also support the PAS government.
“We have a precedent in political history: Brexit. Cameron’s government was adamant that it enjoyed massive support in society and would win the next election. And he tried to extrapolate his electoral supremacy to the idea of Brexit, which was at its limit. What happened? The reverse. The idea of Brexit overthrew Cameron’s government. Is there such a risk in our case? PAS’s rating has declined. Electoral support has decreased. The same thing refers to Maia Sandu, even if the decrease in electoral support for Maia Sandu is much slower than for PAS. The idea of a referendum, when over 50% of citizens support the European integration, was conceived by the authors to boost electoral support for the government. But things often do not go as planned. Therefore, it is very important how the actions in support of this referendum will be carried out,” Anatol Țăranu explained.
He noted that to provide a greater degree of legitimacy to the referendum, this initiative should have come from pro-European parties or from people at an event similar to the European Moldova Assembly.
“If PAS and Maia Sandu try to use this referendum exclusively to support the current government, the opposite could happen. This initiative could have come from a gathering of people or from a conference of all pro-European forces. As it came from Maia Sandu, this initiative becomes vulnerable. It could have come from pro-European parties. PAS, again, acts very selfishly politically and it could pay a high cost,” said the political commentator.
The public debate entitled “Consensus and rivalry in the pro-EU referendum” was the 297th installment of IPN’s project “Developing Political Culture through Public Debates” which is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation of Germany.
