HAPPENING THIS WEEK

Greetings from Chişinău! Here’s what’s happening this week: we feature the story on the ascension and consolidation of President Igor Dodon’s circle, who amassed businesses and assets worth millions in parallel with his ascension to power. As the year comes to an end we tally ZdG’s impact on the positive changes within the society in 2019. In weekly investigations, we take a closer look at the Veceslav Platon’s case, also involved in the Russian laundromat. All of that and more in this week’s newsletter – the last one for a busy 2019. Happy Holidays from ZdG!  
 

THIS WEEK’S FEATURE

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE: For three years Igor Dodon has been Moldova’s president, and for five years the Socialist Party which he leads is one of the biggest parliamentary formations. Although during this period neither Igor Dodon nor his wife, first lady Galina Dodon, made any purchases of movable or immovable property to register on their behalf, the people around the president benefited from Dodon’s growing political influence. University classmates, friends and kin close to the presidential couple developed and acquired millions in businesses and assets. Political and electoral slogans about fighting poverty and corruption became a mere curtain hiding consolidated group interests. Aside from the political relations, the socialists around the president are linked to each other by chains of companies and economic advantages that have one common point- Dodon’s family. 
 

FROM THE EDITORS

ZDG’S IMPACT: In 2019, ZdG’s investigative reporters wrote on a weekly basis about injustice, violation of rights, public money used irrationally, corruption, unjustified assets, and the lack of transparency in privatizations and concessionaires of public assets. The ZdG news department kept the public informed on a daily, hourly basis, offering different points of view in the story. Our best stories did not only receive public interest but also a follow up from those responsible. Three years after ZdG wrote about a judge who was living in a luxurious, undeclared house, the prosecution office opened a criminal case in his name. After ZdG documented the degrading state of the main pedestrian street in the capital city,  the original contractor repaired the damaged portions. 

THE FOREIGN BRIEF

EASTERN PARTNERSHIP: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (E.B.R.D.) and the European Union (E.U.) are stepping up their support for small and medium-sized enterprises in the six countries from the Eastern Partnership including Moldova. E.B.R.D. will provide over €250 million in credit lines to local financial institutions to make businesses more competitive in the region, including Moldova. E.U. is providing €67.6 million in grants to support green technologies. Since 2009 the E.U. contributed, through the EU4Business with €47 million to support the small to medium-size enterprises in Moldova, increasing trade opportunities and creating around 2,600 new jobs in the country. 

E.U.-MOLDOVA: After the meeting of the European Union (E.U.)- Moldova Parliamentary Association Committee the E.U. issued several recommendations for Moldova’s authorities related to climate change, freedom of the media, fighting corruption and combating money laundering. Some of the recommendations involve addressing media ownership and continuing the reform path of the previous government. The co-chair of the meeting claimed that the E.U. will remain vigilant until Moldova’s new government earns its trust. E.U. is a key partner for Moldova, offering more than €70 million since July 2019 in the support of justice reform, the fight against corruption, rural and agricultural development. 

FOREIGN VISIT: The president of the Venice Commission, Gianni Buquicchio, was on a working visit to Moldova. During his visit, he held a press conference talking about the importance of a serious reform in the judiciary which should happen in a continuous dialogue with all the concerned actors, especially civil society. ZdG previously wrote about the irrational use of millions of euros spent on buying and renovating buildings, which were later closed and buying information technologies that were never used. 

ZDG INVESTIGATES

PLATON’S EXTRADITION: Although the Ukrainian authorities extradited Veceslav Platon more than three years ago to Moldova, recently the Prosecutor General in Kyiv requested Platon’s extradition back to Ukraine. Platon is serving his penance for fraud and money laundering in particularly high proportions in the fraud file from the Banca de Economii, being accused later in a new file of fraud and money laundering. Platon’s lawyer affirmed that all the criminal cases opened in Platon’s name in Moldova should be closed because Ukraine canceled the extradition order issued in 2016. An expert explained for Zd that Platon was sentenced as a citizen of Moldova so he should serve his penance till the end. 

CHIȘINĂU AIRPORT: NR Investments Ltd, a company owned by British billionaire Nat Rothschild, pulled out of its troubled investment in the main airport in Moldova following months of disputes. The company said it was giving up 95.95 percent of Avia Invest, the company that runs Chișinău International Airport. The new owner is believed to be the Russian oligarch Andrey Goncharenko, CEO of a Gazprom subsidiary. Avia Invest and Rothschild concluded their agreement on August 19 under which NR Investments Ltd bought 95 percent of the concession company running the airport. Although previously Rothschild declared that he will defend his investments using all the legal means available in Moldova and internationally, the replacement of the pro-Western government with a pro-Moscow one might’ve convinced him to pull out.     

MOLDOVA IN WORLD NEWS

INCLUSIVE GOVERNANCE NEEDED: A conference held in the Gagauzia autonomous territorial unit explored ways to include the region in the wider politics of Moldova. The event was hosted by IWPR in partnership with the Pilgrim-Demo NGO, bringing together some 100 participants, including members of the people’s assembly of Gagauzia and the Moldovan parliament as well as representatives of civil society. The conference discussed the challenges local communities face in participating in the decision-making process, and the need to engage more with women, persons with disabilities and young people. Moldova needs to assure inclusive governance as well as constructive engagement between the center and the regions, a vital point to assure the inclusivity of the regions. 

ECONOMIC GROWTH: In the third quarter, during the climax of the recent political tensions, Moldova’s GDP increased by more than 4 percent Iulian Ernst writes for bneIntellinews. Also, the major international financial institutions expect the country’s economic growth this year to be 1 percent smaller than during the last year. The recent interest rate cut and government’s robust public expenditure plans are likely to maintain robust growth rates in the coming quarters although the new executive drafted the 2020 budget based on the safe assumption of 3.8% growth put forward by the previous government. The interest rate cut made by the monetary authority will provide safe and cheap financing from local resources for the government and encourage retail lending with a positive impact on the country’s GDP.

SPOTTED THIS WEEK

ZDG AWARDED: ZdG’s editorial staff won awards in two categories the best report in print media and innovative journalism, during the best journalists of the year 2019 Gala. ZdG reporter Aliona Ciurcă won the award for the best reporter in the print media and ZdG’s executive director, Alina Radu won the award for innovative journalism.

INEQUALITY ISSUES: According to a study performed by U.N.D.P. in Moldova the technological professions are mostly performed by men rather than by women. Also, access to computers and the internet is higher in households led by then than those led by women. Inequality is an impediment in achieving sustainable development. Eliminating inequality is an important step towards becoming a fully democratic and prosperous society.