HAPPENING THIS WEEK

Greetings from Chişinău! Here’s what’s happening this week: Our feature story examines the latest appointments to Moldova’s Constitutional Court – an institution that was at the epicenter of Vlad Plahotniuc attempted power grab during the standoff between the two governments in June. Politics Editor Petru Grozavu asks why President Dodon and the Socialist Party are in such a rush to sign a new governance agreement to extend the coalition with the ACUM Bloc, while ZdG writer Daniela Bechet examines the implications of having a Harvard-educated Government of Moldova. Plus we have an exclusive interview with  retired judge Dumitru Visternicean, who shares how he managed to maintain his principles while working in Moldova’s infamously corrupt justice system from 1982 to 2018. We also ask the experts whether or not the National Anticorruption Center really lacks the authority to tackle high-level corruption cases. All of that and more in this week’s newsletter. Enjoying what you see? Then don’t forget to like our new English-language Facebook page for the latest updates from ZDG between newsletters. Happy reading!  

THIS WEEK’S FEATURE

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT: The Constitutional Court was involved in a number of controversial decisions made in favor of the previously governing Democratic Party (PDM) – and saw a wave of resignations after the PDM Government was ousted in June. Now, six independent candidates have been selected to fill the vacancies among judges in Moldova’s Constitutional Court. But one of them, Serghei Țurcan, served as a judge under the PDM Government as well. Now, the main question is whether or not the new appointees will be able to restore society’s trust in the judicial institution. To get to know the new Constitutional Court judges better,  ZdG offers a break down of their CVs and assets declarations.

FROM THE EDITORS

COALITION AGREEMENT: The Socialist Party is insisting on signing a four-year coalition agreement with the ACUM Bloc to replace the current provisional one. But President Dodon could just be using the ACUM Bloc to strengthen his party’s position in society ahead of the upcoming local, Presidential and (possible) Parliamentary elections. “For Dodon, the February parliamentary elections are not over,” explains ZdG’s Politics Editor Petru Grozavu. “Dodon continues to dream of a presidential republic and since this is impossible on a parliamentary basis, he is looking for an alternative to his old obsession.”

HARVARD GOVERNMENT: Moldova’s Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Minister of Economy all hold degrees from Harvard University, as do two newly appointed state secretaries. And while the high cost of studying at an American institution raises some suspicions, there are plenty of benefits to studying in the Ivy League. ZdG writer Daniela Bechet explores what Moldova’s “Harvard Government” has to offer the country’s citizens, with the caveat that “a diploma, no matter how beautiful it may be, does not offer any guarantee for success. Only the actions of each leader can justify or disappoint these promises.” 

THE FOREIGN BRIEF

AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY: During the swearing in ceremony of the new Governor of the Autonomous Territorial Unit (UTA) of Găgăuzia, President Igor Dodon said that a former Bashkan could be the country’s next Ambassador to Turkey. According to  the President, he and Prime Minister Maia Sandu have recommended a former Governor of Găgăuzia to the post. “[This] will contribute to the development of normal relations between different nationalities in the Republic of Moldova,” the Head of State said. Turkey has an increasing presence in Moldova and has been investing heavily in the small Turkish minority region.  The name of the next Ambassador has yet to be confirmed.

ZDG INVESTIGATES

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Judge Dumitru Visternicean began his career in 1982 and worked within Moldova’s justice system until his honorable retirement in 2018. Moldova’s judiciary is plagued by corruption and garners a low-level of public trust, but according to Visternicean he always managed to maintain his professional independence. In an exclusive interview with ZdG, he shares his perspective on justice from inside and outside of the system, his experience working in the justice system during the Soviet period versus under various post-independence governments, and explains how he remained true to his principles. “The perception that people do not trust the judicial system is real and its credibility is really low. Even though some blame external factors that distort information, I think that the blame is, first and foremost, on justice itself,” he told ZdG. “When justice becomes unjust, how will the citizens understand you?” 

ANTI-CORRUPTION: During an August 12 meeting with E.U. experts, the new director of Moldova’s National Anticorruption Center, Ruslan Flocea, admitted that the institution is powerless when it comes to investigating high-level corruption cases. “The Center needs more authority,” Flocea explained, asking for help from the international specialists on fighting corruption and money launder, and recovering stolen assets. But is this really the case? ZdG asks Moldova’s experts what’s standing in the way of the National Anticorruption Center’s fight against corruption. 

ELECTORAL CHANGES: The Moldovan Parliament passed several changes to the Electoral Code in a final reading on August 15. The next day, President Igor Dodon enacted a return to the proportional electoral system as a matter of urgency – revoking the mixed voting system that the Socialist and Democratic parties had previously voted for in July 2017. Here’s what you need to know about the latest updates to Moldova’s electoral system, which overturn the controversial legislative changes that garnered criticism from the Venice Commission under the Democratic Party Government.

FAMILY DISCOUNT: In February 2019, the former brother-in-law of a bailiff purchased a sequestered apartment in Chișinău at a fifty percent discount at a suspicious closed auction. The apartment previously belonged to a family who lost the property after their son acted as a guarantor for a 1,515 euro loan.  Nevertheless, the courts confirmed that the auction was legal and the property was registered to the Bailiff’s brother-in-law before the previous owners could challenge the decision. ZdG investigates why the apartment was lost and how it ended up in the hands of a Bailiff’s brother-in-law for such a low price. 

FLY ONE: The Chişinău Court of Appeal has ordered the Moldovan discount airline Fly One to pay over 500 thousand euros to the state budget, after overturning an appeal the company made to the Chişinău Court (Centru) on March 19, 2019. The decision comes in response to a lawsuit filed by Moldova’s Civil Aviation Authority. One of the biggest companies in Moldova, Fly One is tied to Maria Cebotari, one of the company’s founders and the wife of the former Minister of Justice, and is managed by former director of the Civil Aviation Authority, Mircea Maleca. 

MOLDOVA IN WORLD NEWS

EASTERN SUMMER: “To assume eastern Europe is all Orbans, Erdogans and Putins is to do the region a grave injustice. This summer has proved that eastern Europe is in fact teeming with democrats and liberals willing to put their own interests on the line for their cause,” writes The Economist’s Charlemagne columnist. Moldova’s anti-oligarch coalition is just one example of a pro-democratic wave in Eastern Europe – ranging from the election of President Zuzana Caputova in Slovakia to the demonstrations in Moscow. And these liberal-minded voters and protestors need the European Union’s support to succeed, the Economist columnist argues.

FINANCIAL PRESSURE: For Balkan Insight, Madalin Necsutu explains how Prime Minister Maia Sandu’s Government is seeking out loans from Western partners and international financial institutions to solve the financial problems inherited from their predecessor, the Democratic Party Government. Meanwhile, bne IntelliNews warns that failure to pass the proposed fiscal tightening bill could put Moldova’s expected funding from the International Monetary Fund, the European Union and Romania at risk.

EUROPEAN SUPPORT: The support of the European Union is key to the survival of Moldova’s coalition government, which must face challenges head on to set itself apart from the previous regime. “If the government shows convincing results, then the support of European partners will increase and diversify,” explains Dionis Cenusa, arguing that “European integration takes place through gaining results, even if the political enemies contributed to them.” In other words, if the PSRM-ACUM Bloc coalition wants to make progress, they will have to address the success, as well as the failures, of their predecessors. 

MEMORY POLITICS: Prime Minister Maia Sandu has proposed making August 23 a day of remembrance for the victims of totalitarian and authoritarian regime, in line with the European Day of Remembrance for the victims of Stalinism and Nazism. But in Moldova, August 23 marks the day in 1944 when the Red Army entered the country – and the Prime Minister’s proposal has sparked resistance from the pro-Russian Socialist Party, who are still making plans to commemorate the Red Army’s victory on that day,  Balkan Insight reports. 

SPOTTED THIS WEEK

CONGRESSMAN IN CHIŞINĂU: The American Embassy in Chişinău welcomed Congressman Mike Quigley to Moldova on August 14, when his delegation met with the country’s President Igor Dodon, Prime Minister Maia Sandu and Parliamentary Speaker Zinaida Greceanii. They discussed a range of issues including the need for important reforms in the justice sector, combating corruption and ensuring strong, independent institutions. The Congressman also met with the Prime Minister to discuss American financial assistance to Moldova and relaunching the Moldova–U.S.A. Strategic Dialogue, among other things. 

GENDER EQUALITY: On August 14, the UN Women representative to Moldova met with the President of the Parliament, Zinaida Greceanîi to discuss progress in the field of gender equality in the country. They also talked about the next steps that Moldova should follow as to assure full gender equality and additional support for women; encouraging them to participate in decision making processes and the development of social policies. 

ECONOMY & INFRASTRUCTURE: The Minister of Economy and Infrastructure, Vadim Brînzan, met with the E.U. Ambassador to Moldova, Peter Michalko, and the High Councilors of the European Union to discuss support for Moldova through the appointment of two E.U. advisors in the field of trade and transport. During the August 16 meeting, the two parties also discussed the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure’s Action Plan and priorities for 2019-2020. 

Thank you for your continued interest! To keep up with our Moldova coverage throughout the week, you can like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @ZiarulDe or check in at zdg.md/eng for our latest stories in English. More subscription options coming soon. Until next week!

– Daniela Bechet,  Cristina Carmanu, Maksym Eristavi, Eilish Hart and others from the ZdG Newsroom. Created with support from the Russian Language News Exchange.