Democratic Party and ACUM Begin Rapprochement. Chicu Government to Be Dismissed?

Sergiu CEBAN The Democratic Party considers the vote for the Chicu government to be a “complete chapter” and agrees on “strategic cooperation” with the ACUM bloc, with which it intends to defend the country's pro-European course Last week, the first distinct contours of the “anti-Dodon front” showed up in the turbulent internal policy of Moldova. The first personal contacts of Maia Sandu and Andrei Nastase, the Democratic Party reorganization and the actively mobilizing unionists fueled talks among experts about new centripetal processes in Moldovan politics. One of the notable recent events in opposition circles is the initiative to sign a “non-aggression pact”, with the main purpose to unite all pro-European forces against the incumbent head of state and prevent his re-election for a second presidential term. In turn, several unionist parties, united in the Unirea bloc, held the first public Stop Dodon manifestation on February 14. But of most interest are the plans of the systemic opposition to confront Igor Dodon and the Party of Socialists. First of all, the public exchange of “courtesies” between the ACUM bloc and PDM leaders about the prospects for political interaction is noteworthy. So, the head of the Democratic Party Pavel Filip said that the formation led by him may be ready to come to power and engage in dialogue with all the political forces of the present-day parliament. In addition, according to the Democrats’ leader, voting for the Chicu government is a complete chapter, a political episode that has passed, and the PDM does not seek to get seats in the current cabinet. Meanwhile, the ex-prime minister said that his colleagues are already holding some talks, the results of which will become known later. On February 14, the PAS vice chairman Igor Grosu lifted the veil of secrecy announcing the start of the general declaration agreement process with the Democrats on supporting the country’s pro-European course. At the same time, closer cooperation, in his opinion, will depend on the PDM’s internal reform. According to Grosu, some steps will be taken next week to start coalitional decision-making with the Democrats, with regard to the strategic cooperation between the parties, on foreign policy issues including, and, in particular, the no-confidence vote in the Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Integration Aureliu Ciocoi. A day later, the Democrats held a meeting of the republican political council and, according to some Moldovan experts, in a certain sense neutralized the “Plahotniuc group” within the party, as a result of which Adrian Candu, the oligarch’s relative, lost his leading position in the party hierarchy. According to Pavel Filip, during the meeting the participants discussed the concept of the PDM’s rebooting process, since, as mentioned earlier, all team members want a modern party with a clear pro-European focus. Thus, we can say that once-antagonistic political organizations are now taking timid steps towards each other and try to find areas of common interest, one of which will most likely be the confirmation of the country’s pro-Western movement and the fight against the main threat embodied in Igor Dodon. Holding a no-confidence vote in Aureliu Ciocoi will be the first important test for possible cooperation, and removing the incumbent minister will be a symbolic victory of the “pro-European course” over the “balanced foreign policy of Dodon.” Washington and Brussels, in turn, have also signaled that everything is bad with the current cabinet’s prospects and results of work. The head of the EU delegation to Moldova Peter Mihalko said that currently he does not see the progress that was achieved by the previous Sandu-led government. The USA, moreover, canceled trade preferences for Moldova, without even notifying it through the diplomatic channels. Such assessments and harsh actions by the main international partners can be considered as a nod for the Moldovan opposition to take active steps. According to analysts familiar with the PDM internal situation, it is important for the Democrats at the current stage to get the necessary assurances that they are worthy of a handshake and that attitude towards them was revised in the West. Therefore, many expect intensified international contacts between Democrats and Western ambassadors after the “internal deoligarchization” procedure. Obviously, meeting the request of the pro-European and pro-Romanian electorate to rid the country of socialists may have a positive effect on the PDM electoral ratings. Such a political reconfiguration clearly displeases Igor Dodon, who reacted with noticeable irritation to the plans voiced by opposition, which, in his opinion, “is again troubling waters” and wants to create some kind of coalition combination which will eventuate in well-known results. If the current cabinet resigns, the only thing the president can counter with is to refuse to sign a decree on nominating a candidate for the prime minister from the opposition and lead the situation to the early parliamentary elections. The question now is whether Western diplomats will allow this. Apparently, the opposition forces are preparing to meet the report on the 100-day activity of the Chicu government, scheduled for February 24, in a special way. Perhaps, already this week everyone will witness the first test ball, which should strike at the monolithic structure of the current government with the prospect for a new coalition deal between ACUM and PDM.