The EU and the rule of law in Moldova
EU urges R. of Moldova not to change the election system
Bogdan Matei, 22.06.2017, 13:00
A former PM and a former intelligence service chief sentenced for corruption offences, the mayor general of the capital city arrested under similar charges, former pro-Russian communists converted to Western values or former Christian Democrats, once promoting the unity with Romania, turned into Moscow advocates, all these and others make up the complex and unusual political landscape of the Republic of Moldova.
Against this background, the European Union firmly requested Moldova to comply with a Venice Commission recommendation, according to which changing the election system in the current political context is not advisable. Promoted by the countrys largest parties, the PM Pavel Filips Democrats and President Igor Dodons Socialists, the planned reform introduces the uninominal election of half of the 100 MPs, elected so far in the party-list system.
The Venice Commission warns that the bill, harshly criticised by the Opposition, NGOs and the media, is not supported by society as a whole. In addition, changing the election system runs the risk of making the MPs elected in uninominal constituencies vulnerable to business circles, and therefore corruptible. The European Unions External Action Service called on Moldova to respect the authority of the Commission, and said it shared the latters criticism of the attempt to change the election system.
The Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu says that Brussels cannot make its relations with Chisinau conditional on this project, and that it is Moldovas sovereign right to decide on this matter. But his optimism is not shared by his Democratic Party colleague, the PM Filip. The latter left on an emergency trip to Brussels, to ask the president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, and the Enlargement Commissioner, Johannes Hahn, not to tie the disbursement of a vital 100-million euro loan for Chisinau to the controversial election reform.
(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)
