In Chisinau, the
\npolitical class and the regular citizens have maintained their irreconcilable
\npositions. More mixed than ever, both parties include pro-Russia and pro-West
\nvectors at the same time. The swearing in on January 20th of the
\npro-European government headed by Pavel Filip was made thanks to the votes of a
\nheterogeneous majority, ranging from liberals, promoters of the union with
\nRomania, to former communists, traditionally known as supporters of Russia, who
\nhave turned into Social – Democrats overnight. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In the street, protesters mobilized
\nby socialists and populists, about whom many say are guided from Moscow, merged
\nwith supporters of the Dignity and Truth Platform. But the rupture appeared
\nalong different coordinates. The power claims that its stability is
\ninstrumental not only for maintaining
\nthe country’s European track, but for the very existence of the Republic
\nof Moldova as a state. The opposition accuses the corruption of an
\nadministration during whose term one billion dollars went missing from the
\nstate budget, accounting for some 15% of the country’s GDP. Holding a
\nreferendum on the election of the president by citizens, not by MPs as it is
\ntoday, would have to be voted on during one of the first parliament sessions
\nthis spring. The measure has been termed by analysts as a concession made to
\nprotesters, who, however, find it
\ninsufficient, and therefore keep calling for the resignation of the
\npower and the organization of early elections.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Against this extremely tense
\nbackground, on Sunday, the Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos sent to his Moldovan
\ncounterpart Pavel Filip a letter detailing the reforms that Chisinau must
\nimplement in order to benefit for the first 60 million Euro installment of the
\nreimbursable loan, worth 150 million, that Romania is ready to offer its
\nneighbour. Such reforms concern the urgent implementation of the EU association
\nagenda, developing a legislative package aimed at improving the business
\nenvironment, establishing a road map for a quick agreement with the IMF and
\nappointing, through a transparent and credible process, a governor of the
\nNational Bank. Also stressed in the letter as priorities are identifying and
\nfixing the vulnerabilities of the banking system, reforming the judiciary,
\nfighting corruption and involving civil society in consultations. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The two prime-ministers seem to already have a
\nfunctional relationship. A week after he was sworn in, Filip made his
\nfirst official visit to Bucharest.
\nRomania is and will be by the Republic of Moldova’s side , the letter sent by
\nthe Romanian PM also reads. However, the Romanian PM warns that this country’s
\nsupport will come gradually, in keeping with the efforts made by Chisinau
\ntowards assuming and applying the democratic, economic and institutional
\nreforms, as Bucharest has been
\ndirectly affected by the corruption, incompetence and inconsistency of a
\npartner whose European aspirations have always been supported by Romania. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Romania makes its financial support for the neighbouring Republic of Moldova conditional upon the latter’s implementing a set of reforms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":105,"featured_media":67116,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37738],"tags":[38325,29483,29791],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-67115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-today-in-the-news","tag-bucharest-chisinau","tag-dacian-ciolos","tag-pavel-filip"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n