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| Dionis Cenuşa | |
The inability of the ruling parties to coexist and to ensure viable and efficient governance is powerfully determined by the permanent conflict of interests and the struggle for dividing and concentrating the political power. The political subordination does not meet the interests of the oligarchic groups and this dictated and continues to influence the behavior of the political forces.
This aspect characterizes the anatomy of the Moldovan political players, including those who represent the so-called pro-European parties that have ruled the country since July 2009. The recent political scandal related to the annulment of former Premier Vlad Filat’s immunity and his arrest are plausible examples.
The ruling parties have always had a bellicose behavior, even if each of these tended to become related to the pan-European parties. However, the principles of the European parties, which imply dialogue and internal democracy, haven’t been popularized inside the so-called pro-European parties and this fact significantly affected their “Europeanization”.
“Raison d’être” of the Moldovan political parties
The nature of the Moldovan political class couldn’t have been changed by their affiliation to the families of the pan-European parties. This didn’t substantially contribute to the improvement of the interparty relations and to their internal democratization either.
Their vital interest was and is to ensure their immunity and an advantageous balance of power, or a monopoly on the state power. Thus, the proximity to the pan-European parties counted not much or not at all in the maturation and “Europeanization” of the Moldovan political class.
Also, not even the pan-European parties made sufficient effort to correct the behavior of the Moldovan political entities, which have been erroneously considered as anchors for the European integrity of Moldova (PLDM, PD and PL). In this connection, the “Europeanization” of the Moldovan political class was rather artificial than superficial and it is the naivety of the pro-European parties and falsity of the ruling pro-European forces that contributed to this.
Nil effect of proximity to pan-European parties
The three ruling parties – the PLDM, PDM and PL – started to effectively join the family of the pan-European parties after they came to power. These obtained the status of observer or associate member of the Party of European Socialists (the PDM), the European People’s Party (PLDM) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party ALDE (PL).
The interest in joining these entities is not accidental as the affiliation to them ensures ‘bridges of communication’ with the parties that hold a majority of seats in the European Parliament and the ability to influence decisions adopted inside other European institutions (the European Commission and the Council of Europe). This also offers access to informal platforms allowing interacting with different leaders of the EU member states. The European People’s Party includes parties that rule in a coalition or individually in ten EU member states, the Party of European Socialists – in 13, while ALDE – in seven.
But this proximity to the heads of government or state didn’t contribute to the ‘Europeanization” of the Moldovan parties. On the contrary, the latter remained at the same level of internal democracy, transparency and integrity. At the same time, more information and evidence about the involvement of the PDM, PLDM and/or PL in actions to capture the state institutions, traffic of influence, fixed public procurement contests, bank frauds and other offenses started to be disseminated publicly.
Nevertheless, the leaders of the ruling Moldovan parties continued to take part in the meetings of the pan-European parties, without facing objections, criticism or restrictions. This points to a high level of indulgence on the part of the pan-European parties, low integrity criteria imposed by these or inefficient mechanisms for verifying the political parties that form part of them.
Instead of conclusion…
There is an urgent necessity for the pan-European parties to impose minimum integrity, transparency and internal democracy criteria on the parties that join them, as fully-fledged members or as observers. An efficient mechanism for assessing and monitoring the member parties is required. This would generate strict external contains and conditions that could stimulate internal transformations, contributing to the initiation of the real “Europeanization” of parties.
In the absence of verification and conditioning mechanisms, the European parties and leaders encourage the erosion of their own image in Moldova and other non-EU countries.
By allowing Moldovan political leaders involved in different cases of corruption to join them, the European parties and leaders discredit the European project and, consequently, distance the Moldovans from it.
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