IPN on September 11 published an OP-ED article entitled “Civil society: agents of influence or sanitarians of political system”, signed by expert in political sciences Dionis Cenusa. The article says the supporters of the pro-Russian geopolitical order, either from the country or from Russia, attribute docility to the EU or, in general, to the West to Moldovan civil society. Most of the times, such arguments are based on a simplistic deduction of a presupposed relationship of subordination existing between the NGO sector and the West owing to financing. Contrary to this interpretation, the supporting of civil society by backers from the EU and the U.S. is due to the positive impact that this can have on making the government that is more often disconnected from the public interest disciplined. According to the expert, the number of noncommercial organizations is enormous, of about 11,000, but not even 100 of these work in the field of government monitoring, promotion of positive international practices for these to be transposed to the national legislation or strengthening of democratic values. Consequently, fewer than 100 noncommercial organizations benefit from foreign assistance.
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A biogas-fueled cogeneration power plant will be soon set up at the sugar factory in Drochia town, Prime Minister Pavel Filip announced during a visit made to the factory on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of its foundation. The Premier said the factory is a proof of efficient utilization of the country’s potential in the agrifood industry, generating significant value added and jobs and supporting the local economy. Pavel Filip underlined that the Drochia sugar factory developed Moldova’s export potential in the context of Moldova’s relations with the European Union.
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The Democratic Party will initiate the procedure for amending the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova. According to the Democratic leader, the initiative is based on the September 9, 2014 judgment of the Constitutional Court, which specifies that the orientation to the European system of democratic values is a defining element of the constitutional identity of the Republic of Moldova. ”Given this decision, we decided to initiate the modification of the Constitution by introducing a reference that would clearly show that the European integration is the strategic orientation of the Republic of Moldova,” stated Vlad Plahotniuc.
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The amendment of the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova for clearly specifying that the European integration is the strategic orientation of the state is beneficial to the country. If the Constitution includes such a provision, this would maximally impede the future maneuvers of the anti-European forces. The issue was developed in a televised talk show. Political analyst Anatol Taranu said that even if the anti-European forces win the legislative elections, it will be rather hard for them to change the country’s European course. “For the purpose, they will need not only to win the parliamentary elections, but to also have a constitutional majority, which is rather improbable given the state of affairs on the Moldovan political arena,” he stated. The Democratic Party’s spokesman Vitalie Gamurari said the current Government assumed the obligation to put into practice the Association Agreement with the European Union and this is an international obligation undertaken by the state. “The non-fulfillment of this obligation can theoretically lead to international sanctions,” he said, noting that the amendment of the Constitution is aimed at strengthening confidence in the European course so as to refute such assertions as those that reforms are not wanted and these are mimicked.
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The media holdings in the Republic of Moldova remain concentrated in the hands of political leaders. The given media organizations promote the interests of owners and do not inform the population about the most important events. The press in Moldova is financed from outside and does not necessarily represent the interests of Moldovan citizens, U.S. Ambassador in Chisinau James Pettit said in an international conference entitled “Mass media in Moldova, audience and pluralism”. To change things, the authorities should lay emphasis on the development of local media content and should develop resistance to manipulation from outside, said the diplomat. In the same connection, Silvio Gonzato, Director for Strategic Communications, Parliamentary and Legal Affairs at the European External Action Service, said the misinformation of the people is a global problem. There were many cases of misinformation in the interests of the Russian Federation, including about the Moldova-EU Association Agreement.
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The second half of the year will be intense for the Government of Moldova given that the commitments undertaken by the Association Agreement with the EU and the conditions for obtaining macro-financial assistance must be fulfilled, Prime Minister Pavel Filip stated in the meeting of the Commission for European Integration. In the meeting, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Andrei Galbur spoke about the events that are to be staged within the cooperation with the European Union. Among these are the meeting of the Moldova – European Union Association Committee and the Eastern Partnership Summit. The macro-financial assistance of €100 million approved by the European Parliament for the Republic of Moldova will be provided by the European Commission in three tranches if the Moldovan authorities make progress. If no results are achieved, each tranche could be blocked until the undertaken reforms are done.
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The two bans imposed by Russia in 2006 and 2013 determined a profound recession in the winemaking and winegrowing sector and a three-time reduction in wine exports, which caused considerable damage. In 2015-2016, owing to a public – private partnership, the revenues in the sector were slightly increased, while the historical stores were diminished. Director of the National Office of Vine and Wine Gheorghe Arpentin said that in 2006, when the first ban was imposed, the private sector, after a boom in sales on the Russian market, got into a panic because 90% of the Moldovan wine market disappeared during one night. Diana Lazar, vice director of the USAID Moldovan Competitiveness Project, said that owing to the public-private partnership in the wine sector, a number of structural and strategic changes were made and there was launched the Wine of Moldova brand and reformed the normative framework. This enabled the sector to recover. Russia imposed the first ban on the import of Moldova wines in 2006. Though this hasn’t been lifted officially, gradually a number of companies regained the right to export wine products to Russia. In September 2013, Russia reintroduced the ban on the import of Moldovan wine products and this is still valid. The direct losses caused by the bans were assessed at over US$200 million, while the revenues that failed to be collected totaled US$ 1.5 billion. As a result of the ban of 2013, the European Commission proposed fully opening the EU market to the Moldovan wines before the coming into force of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement.
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The Republic of Moldova and Lithuania celebrate 25 years of diplomatic relations this year. Besides the positive cooperation between the two states, there are yet many challenges and problems that should be discussed and solved, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevicius, who was in Moldova on a working visit, stated in a news conference held jointly with his Moldovan counterpart Andrei Galbur. According to Linas Linkevicius, Lithuania will continue to judge Moldova on deeds, not on political slogans. “As far as we all know, several years ago the forces that declared themselves pro-European facilitated the stealing of US$ 1 billion from the state budget and this is a very sonorous act of corruption. I came here to reiterate that the European Union, in this case Lithuania, will not tolerate such behavior. These acts have nothing to do with the European values,” he stated. The minister expressed his regret at the fact that the Venice Commission’s recommendations concerning the amendment of the Election Code weren’t fully taken into account.
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Democratic MP Sergiu Sarbu said the Democratic Party (PDM) has constantly pleaded for the European integration and considers that essential steps in this regard have been taken during the last few years. The goal now is to transpose the Constitutional Court’s judgment of September 9, 2014, which says that the orientation to the European system of democratic values is a defining element of the constitutional identity of the Republic of Moldova, to the Constitution so as to eliminate any speculation about the country’s course and the split in society disappears. The MP made such statements in the public debate “Eastern model and Western model for Moldova: differences, advantages, disadvantages. Chances of “Third Way” that was staged by IPN News Agency and Radio Moldova. The MP said that the PDM has constantly pleaded for the European integration values. The liberalization of the visa regime with the EU and the signing of the Association Agreement brought benefits to the people and will surely bring more benefits. Though some speculate about the European course, the Republic of Moldova understood that this path is irreversible when the Party of Communists ruled, when the plan of action with the EU was signed in 2005 and this course was included in the programs of all the governments since then. According to Sergiu Sarbu, since the Association Agreement with the EU was ratified, this was 33-34% implemented in terms of policies and adjustment of the legal framework. The implementation level in the case of economic documents is higher, of 60-70%. After the signing of the Association Agreement, results were achieved especially as regards the balance of trade and the volume of exports to the EU has constantly increased, while to the CIS has constantly declined.
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After the Russian Federation imposed bans in 2006 and 2013, the European Union became an attractive and already traditional market for the Moldovan wines, deputy minister of agriculture, regional development and environment Vasile Luca stated in a press club meeting. According to him, the winemakers had to make additional effort to meet the European market requirements and a part of them managed to enter the EU market, while others went bankrupt in the process of adjusting to the new conditions and many specialists went abroad. Vasile Luca noted that before the signing of the Association Agreement with the European Union, the national legislation in the field was adjusted to the European requirements and regulations and this represented a stimulus for producers to diversify the markets, laying emphasis on quality rather than on quantity.
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The procedure for amending the Constitution by introduction a provision about the European integration as Moldova’s strategic orientation is not as simple, even if the necessary number of votes exists in Parliament. The bill is to go through the Constitutional Court and is to be sent to the President for promulgation, President Igor Dodon’s secretary Ion Ceban stated in a televised talk show. According to him, the votes needed to adopt this initiative would most probably be found in the legislative body. “I think the amendment is practically unreal until the early or ordinary parliamentary elections. Surely, if they do not initiate the impeachment of the President,” stated Ion Ceban.
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The leader of the Party “Action and Solidarity” (PAS) Maia Sandu left the ambiguity zone when she said it is unreal for the European Union to permit Moldova’s union with Romania, political analyst Corneliu Ciurea stated in a TV program. According to him, Maia Sandu kept particular ambiguity as to unionism for a period. Being a leader of the right, she aimed to unite the sides – the Europeanist Moldovan right and the unionist right. The analyst said Maia Sandu owes nothing to the unionists who voted for her in the previous elections because she didn’t promise them the union. The PAS leader should have kept this ambiguity further, but is probably constrained to define her positions. “Ultimately, there is place for a new party of the right, which will be unionist for this time,” stated Corneliu Ciurea.
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Deputy head of the Political Party “Our Party” (PPPM) Ilian Casu said the party he represents pleads for a pro-Moldova development model that would be based on a functional state, democratic values, the rule of law and observance of human rights. According to him, the European integration conception should be contrasted with the real situation in Moldova, which is disastrous, and the people’s welfare, not with the triumphal statements of the parties that wave the European flags. The politician made such statements in the public debate “Eastern model and Western model for Moldova: differences, advantages, disadvantages. Chances of “Third Way” that was staged by IPN News Agency. The politician considers the European integration is associated by the ordinary people with robbery, corruption, controlled justice and this is due to the fact that the ruling parties waved the European flag.
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Deputy chairman of the Party “Action and Solidarity” Mihai Popsoi said the democratic values represent the European Union’s foundation and these values include the rule of law, political and economic competition, freedom of the media, non-politicized institutions and non-selective justice. “The PDM, which proposed amending the Constitution and stipulating the irreversibility of the European course, is known for its non-efficient fight against corruption, which is fought in an artistic way only,” Popsoi stated in the public debate “Eastern model and Western model for Moldova: differences, advantages, disadvantages. Chances of “Third Way”. In another development, the politician said the European Union’s Gross Domestic Product is of about US$ 20 trillion, while that of the Eurasian Union totals not at least US$ 2 trillion. The largest Russian company “Sberbank” has a market capitalization of US$ 63 billion, while the second largest Russian company “Gazprom” of US$ 52 billion. An American company, not at least the biggest one, which makes animated cartoons, has a capitalization of US$ 178 billion. Also, the purchasing power in the EU is incomparable and no state can compete with the EU’s economic potential.
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The European integration is the only option of Moldova from strategic viewpoint because the EU has what to offer Moldova at economic level and results are seen, Romanian foreign policy expert Radu Carp, Doctor of Law, stated in a talk show. “Even if many in the Republic of Moldova do not realize it, the evolution of this state with the assistance of European funds is absolutely visible. No one can deny that today the Republic of Moldova looks better owing to European involvement,” said the expert. According to Radu Carp, there is now no other economic partner able to offer an alternative to Moldova. If someone says another thing in Chisinau or in Brussels, they are wrong or want to mislead the others. “Why? Because Russia now, even if it wants to present itself as a viable player on the international arena and even if it invests a lot in the defense industry and tries to be present at all the operation theaters, in all the conflicts and to have an active diplomacy from economic viewpoint, the ratio is of one to four. So, the European Union is four times more powerful than Russia,” stated the Doctor of Law.
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Both the Democratic Party and the Party of Socialists in different periods asserted that Moldova should become a bridge between the East and the West, but the things discussed in the public sphere, which is part of the political struggle between the two parties, are different, the standing expert of IPN’s project Igor Botan said in the public debate “Eastern model and Western model for Moldova: differences, advantages, disadvantages. Chances of “Third Way”. The expert made reference to a number of official acts signed by the governments that ruled in the independence period. In general, these show that the orientation was 60% to 40% in favor of the European development model. “However, regrettably, during the last eight years those who promised the integration into the EU didn’t manage to produce many interesting things and what they did led to a reduction in the European integration support level from 70% to 40%. “After the citizens were disappointed, how can one make them believe in the integration into the EU so that this idea is not challenged?” asked Igor Botan.
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Moldova’s partnership with the European Union moves to a new phase, with a more detailed association agenda. This fact offers new chances for promoting cooperation and supporting the reform process, the new Head of the EU Delegation to Moldova Peter Michalko stated in a meeting with Prime Minister Pavel Filip. Peter Michalko stated his support for Moldova’s aspirations in the tendency to go further towards progress and development, following the European course. Pavel Filip wished the new EU ambassador to Moldova success, assuring him that the Government will ensure efficient cooperation in the future.
The summary of news from the IPN series “European Integration” is produced with support from the Hanns Seidel Foundation of Germany and can be further disseminated on condition that the source is indicated.
