Bucharest – Chisinau Relations

Romania makes its financial support for the neighbouring Republic of Moldova conditional upon the latter's implementing a set of reforms.

Bogdan Matei, 01.02.2016, 12:58

In Chisinau, the
political class and the regular citizens have maintained their irreconcilable
positions. More mixed than ever, both parties include pro-Russia and pro-West
vectors at the same time. The swearing in on January 20th of the
pro-European government headed by Pavel Filip was made thanks to the votes of a
heterogeneous majority, ranging from liberals, promoters of the union with
Romania, to former communists, traditionally known as supporters of Russia, who
have turned into Social – Democrats overnight.

In the street, protesters mobilized
by socialists and populists, about whom many say are guided from Moscow, merged
with supporters of the Dignity and Truth Platform. But the rupture appeared
along different coordinates. The power claims that its stability is
instrumental not only for maintaining
the country’s European track, but for the very existence of the Republic
of Moldova as a state. The opposition accuses the corruption of an
administration during whose term one billion dollars went missing from the
state budget, accounting for some 15% of the country’s GDP. Holding a
referendum on the election of the president by citizens, not by MPs as it is
today, would have to be voted on during one of the first parliament sessions
this spring. The measure has been termed by analysts as a concession made to
protesters, who, however, find it
insufficient, and therefore keep calling for the resignation of the
power and the organization of early elections.

Against this extremely tense
background, on Sunday, the Romanian PM Dacian Ciolos sent to his Moldovan
counterpart Pavel Filip a letter detailing the reforms that Chisinau must
implement in order to benefit for the first 60 million Euro installment of the
reimbursable loan, worth 150 million, that Romania is ready to offer its
neighbour. Such reforms concern the urgent implementation of the EU association
agenda, developing a legislative package aimed at improving the business
environment, establishing a road map for a quick agreement with the IMF and
appointing, through a transparent and credible process, a governor of the
National Bank. Also stressed in the letter as priorities are identifying and
fixing the vulnerabilities of the banking system, reforming the judiciary,
fighting corruption and involving civil society in consultations.

The two prime-ministers seem to already have a
functional relationship. A week after he was sworn in, Filip made his
first official visit to Bucharest.
Romania is and will be by the Republic of Moldova’s side , the letter sent by
the Romanian PM also reads. However, the Romanian PM warns that this country’s
support will come gradually, in keeping with the efforts made by Chisinau
towards assuming and applying the democratic, economic and institutional
reforms, as Bucharest has been
directly affected by the corruption, incompetence and inconsistency of a
partner whose European aspirations have always been supported by Romania.