Expert: Moldova Has No Plan to Achieve Goals in European Integration Process

Although European integration is a national goal, at the local level, there is still no clear and understandable plan how this goal can be achieved, what role local authorities should play. Stanislav Giletski, an expert of the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IEPR), expressed his opinion on this issue during the public debate “Local elections in the context of the European vector”. According to the expert, in order to get real transformations local public administrations should have the necessary powers and competences to contribute to the Europeanisation process. However, there is still no clear plan now at the state level on how Moldova can achieve certain goals in the process of integration to the European Union, what role local authorities should play in this process, and how they can be more actively involved in reforming. “We have not been successful so far and that is also the fault of the government because the synergy has not been realized. All priorities that we have are working together. The lack of vision at the central level is being transferred and we feel it at the local level. If there are no clear priorities at the central level, it is more difficult to adapt your planning or public policy documents at the local level. So, one of the recommendations would be that the central level should very clearly define two or three priority areas,” Stanislav Giletski said. He added that one of the main elements in creating a vision for the country is decentralization. “It’s an essential element, but people don’t realize it. We have been talking about it for so many years and we still do not have a vision to move forward and implement it. That is why there is a ping-ponging going on between the local and central government. Of course, the lack of a vision for decentralization has negative consequences. That is why we really want to find a consensus to make sure that local authorities have the necessary powers and functions and financial capacity,” the IEPR expert said. “For Europeanisation to become irreversible, we have to take it to the local level. Still, at the local level it means more economic development than a simple adaptation to the EU legislation. And we can say that today we have legislation that meets all our requirements,” Stanislav Giletski said. The 10th public debate on “Local elections in the context of the European vector” was organized by the IPN News Agency within the project “Intensification of the discussion in the media on the traditional features of local elections and the need for their Europeanisation”, implemented with the support of the Soros Foundation in Moldova.