An artificial schism appears in civil society in Moldova, produced by the nongovernmental associations affiliated to the Democratic Party (PDM), expert in political sciences Dionis Cenusa says in an opinion article for IPN.
The politologist notes that the Democratic Party supports the change in the electoral system reluctantly or voluntarily. In parallel, the pro-government media outlets are trying to disqualify the independent civil society, associating it with the extra-parliamentary opposition. By such actions, the government aims to remove the monopoly of the antigovernment civil society in the relations with Brussels and to diminish its credibility.
Authentic civil society has several essential weak points that are exploited by the government at present. “The first weak point resides in the open sympathies of representatives of civil society with the extra-parliamentary opposition. [...]. The second weakness derives from the lack of powerful connection with citizens and regions. [...]Ultimately, the authentic civil society is rather reduced as proportion and depends on external financing.”
The politologist reiterates that civil society is important for the development partners. On the one hand, civil society is a watchdog in relation to the government. On the other hand, this is a neutral voice that guides the public opinion. Consequently, a series of actions should be envisioned by the foreign partners to support the independent civil society, apart from the financial assistance.
The reformation of the country cannot be conceived in the absence of viable civil society. At the same time, the functionality of civil society depends on the existence of independent, active and credible nongovernmental organizations, concluded the expert in political sciences.
