Moldovan premier says Moldova closer to Europe after last year of governance

Chisinau, 8 May /MOLDPRES/ –

Interview given exclusively for the MOLDPRES State News Agency by Prime Minister Pavel Filip after his visit to Brussels.

MOLDPRES: Mr. prime minister, which are the main things Moldova’s citizens must know following your visit to Brussels? 

Pavel Filip: With each such meeting I have with European officials, I have confirmation that Moldova is closer to Europe, that our progress, although it is still much to be done, start being seen and felt in the economy and society. In the last two years, serious work has been carried out in the government and parliament to get the European integration train on rails. And this thing is appreciated both in Brussels and by Moldova’s citizens. I had quite applied working meetings with European leaders, during which we discussed in detail the stage of reforms, the implementation of the Association Agreement, subjects on which we should work more till the end of the mandate.    

First of all, I bear in mind the political message: the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) are both to the advantage of Moldova and EU and we must continue working together to implement all measures agreed upon. Moldova and EU are long-race partners. This is a very important political message in a year when the European option must be defended once again.     

Secondly, the progress officially acknowledged by the EU partners are worth being recorded: the reforms which led to the country’s economic and financial stabilization, re-establishment of the reliability in the relation with the international financial institutions, adoption of the laws on the National Bank and supervision of the banking sector, legislative amendments in the audiovisual sector or increase in trade exchanges, especially through the export of Moldovan agricultural products on the European market. Also, they appreciated our initiatives to constantly consult with the civil society, in order to improve the economic and social measures or adoption of reforms in line with the European norms in the energy sector. The progress in the Transnistrian settlement was also on the agenda, along with the idea to boost the cooperation in counteracting hybrid threats and improving the cyber security. I presented the priority reforms’ plan for 2018, which was well-accepted by our partners.  

The European integration is not a sprint, but a marathon, and if to keep the sports language, Moldova has a good intermediary time: we have come up with the homework prepared and we showed what we will do to generate quicker results in some sectors, such as justice and fighting corruption. Moldova has a governance which seriously represents its interests in Brussels. To maintain the same pace is only up to us.

MOLDPRES: The subject of macro-financial assistance is of great interest both for the government and for citizens. When will the European money come and what plans does the government has with it?

Pavel Filip: Commissioner Hahn has specified that the earmarking of the macro-financial assistance depended on the full-capacity work of the National Integrity Agency, on the adoption of an additional budget for the activity of the anticorruption institutions and on the IMF’s report on the stand-by agreement underway. We have a relation which unfolds very well with IMF, the results are the expected ones, so that, in next June, we expect a positive evaluation within the institution’s Board of Directors. As for the other two measures, the government will ensure their quick  implementation, in order to once again show that the anticorruption fight enjoys every support on behalf of the government. As a matter of fact, our goal is that, till the end of the parliamentary session, we have all conditions fulfilled for all the three installments of the macro-financial assistance, not only for the first one. I am optimistic that, from the strict point of view of the administrative calendar, the first two installments will come this year; we try also to have the third installment, but we resort to the idea that, for reasons of administrative processes and their setting in motion, it is possible that the third installment to come as late as after the elections. We continue working to implement the measures and the European money will certainly come. It will be important for the economic growth through efficient public investments and for a better work of the state.

MOLDPRES: Each commissioner spoke about the banking fraud, about fighting corruption and the electoral law. What the government has done and what it will do to answer to the European Commission’s concerns? 

Pavel Filip: As for the fraud, we are on the point of making the banking sector sounder and we made sure, through the legislation adopted, that a similar episode can no longer take place. Moreover, foreign investments in our banking sector started, which shows that the improvement is reliable. Also, we have a full assessment of what has happened; it was carried out by a reputed international firm. We have already published the most important aspects of the second Kroll report; the latter was submitted in its full form to prosecutors, in order to call to account the guilty persons. Just as things look like, we will need the cooperation of European partners to recover the money stolen. The progress can be quicker and the government has every willingness to back the work of prosecutors administratively and through legislative interventions. 

We have recorded significant results in the anti-corruption fight in the last two years and the joint declaration after the meeting of the Association Council highlights such aspects as the law against the money laundering and a more comprehensive reform of the justice zone institutions. We will provide administrative and financial support, so that the new institutions are fully operational; this is an aspect we seriously take into account at the government and it represents one of the priorities. As for the electoral law, I unveiled the measures taken by the government and parliament, as well as the obvious political dimension which exists in such decisions. Most recommendations of the Venice Commission have been implemented; the legislative framework is a fair and inclusive one and I hope that the parties focus on the presentation of political projects worthy of the citizens of this country.  

MOLDPRES: At the meetings you had, you evoked each time the subject of organization of the polls due later this year. Why do you insist so much on this subject? 

Pavel Filip: The elections represent a quite serious subject topic for the government. On the one hand, there are some people outside Moldova who are extremely discontented with our European aspirations and the worthy foreign policy we have had in the last two years. Therefore, we insist on tightening the security of the communication space, in to prevent situations in which people are intoxicated with fake news, opinion tendencies about false subjects are created, falsehoods are told about everything means the rapprochement with Europe. We spoke about this topic in Brussels as well; we want to consolidate the cooperation, as in the last years, Europe took seriously the problem of fake news. And we made a first step with the amendments to the audiovisual legislation; yet, we should be more active and act when we signal vulnerabilities.      

On the other hand, Moldova is presently a polarized country, first of all, under the political aspect and this means not only the lack of goals with wide political support, but also the lack of responsibility of some people and the willingness to blow the country up, if this meets their interests. There are already messages in mass media, it is true, weak ones, about the boycotting of the polls, about civic insubordination, about non-observance of citizens’ will. We know how much evil such events can do in a country which has just recovered from instability, which grows economically, attracts foreign investors and creates jobs in the private sector. We reject such provocations and we want to give them a proper answer: nobody but the government is eventually more interested in having free and fair elections. We evoked possibility that the elections be monitored by an as large as possible number of international observers from organizations with a solid reputation, but we are also open for other measures, both on behalf of the opposition and on behalf of foreign partners. As a matter of fact, just as you have said, the subject was on my list at the discussions in Brussels. The democratic consolidation begins with fair elections and we want to show that we are a democracy which makes solid progress towards consolidation.       

MOLDPRES: President Dodon demands your honourable resignation, as you discussed possibility that European decision-makers get involved in the creation of a new pro-European majority, in the context of the parliamentary polls. What will you answer him?   

Pavel Filip: President Dodon wants a prime minister and a ruling coalition who are to become   grave diggers of the European project in Moldova. The more we endeavour to turn the European integration into an irreversible goal, the more the Socialists are set to close the border to Europe. This is the great project of President Dodon, which he even does not labour to hide: an iron curtain between us and the European Union. At present, he only speaks about it, as he cannot do more but put obstacles. Starting from next December, however, if we do not mobilize and are not united, he might fulfill his plan and this will be the tragedy of an entire country.        

I will continue speaking about the things which I trust: European integration, political responsibility and reform-oriented governance and with results for the citizens. As for the involvement of the European partners, you know how they say: a friend in need is a friend indeed. The support on behalf of EU was decisive in certain periods and it can be like this also this year. After all, the fate of this country is at stake. I am confident that those with pro-European visions from this country will find themselves around the same political project.

(Reporter A. Ciobanu, editor M. Jantovan)