On 20 June, 2017, three institutions of the European Union: Council of the European Union, European Parliament and the European Commission, agreed on the €100 million macro-financial assistance to the Republic of Moldova, linking it with the strict conditions on fight against corruption and money laundering, the de-politicisation of public administration, an independent judiciary, the freedom of the media and a broad political consensus on an electoral system change.
The joint statement by the the Council, Parliament and the Commission underlines that a pre-condition for the EU macro-financial assistance is that Moldova respects democratic rules, including a multi-party parliamentary system and the rule of law, and also guarantees respect for human rights, which are systematically violated under the rule of the ‘Democratic Party of Moldova’, and its Chairman and oligarch Mr Vlad Plahotniuc.
The European Commission shall temporarily suspend or cancel any payments of the EU macro-financial assistance, if conditions are not met.
The agreement between the EU institutions was reached after on 17 June the European Commission for Democracy Through Law of the Council of Europe (Venice Commission) and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) issued a joint critical opinion on a draft revision of the electoral legislation of Moldova, initiated by the political parties of Mr Plahotniuc and the pro-Russian President of Moldova Mr Igor Dodon.
On 3-4 May, the Open Dialogue Foundation organized a mission to Brussels with the participation of the most important pro-European and pro-democratic representatives of the Moldovan political opposition and civil society, during which they met with the Commissioner on the European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations Mr Johannes Hahn, Cabinet of the President of the European Council Mr Donald Tusk, Cabinet of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Mrs Federica Mogherini, as well as the crucial Members of the European Parliament and diplomats from the EU member states.
Sources:
On the EU macro-financial assistance to Moldova:
- Joint Statement by the Council of the European Union, European Parliament and the European Commission
- Press Release of the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee
On the electoral system change in Moldova:
