Sentence to Evghenia Gutul Is a Test for PAS Opponents

The oppressive judgment for Evghenia Gutul speaks of the regime’s intention to destroy political competition against the will of a significant part of the population, as well as to dismantle the Gagauz autonomy

Before the parliamentary elections, PAS enjoys the unfettered support of the Western establishment, primarily the EU bureaucracy and the leaders of several EU states. Despite domestic concerns and the dubious legitimacy of power in the liberal “European democracies,” they remain a key support for the current regime, handing a blank check for any means of political struggle and staying in power. Chisinau expects an impressive “European landing party” in late August, aimed only at participating in the election campaign and confirming the special position of PAS as an “inherent partner” of the West in Moldova. French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will visit Moldova on Independence Day. Romanian President Nicusor Dan, elected with the support of Maia Sandu, is expected at the celebration of Romanian Language Day on August 31. Such external recognition is, in fact, the most important resource of the regime, allowing it to use a whole range of authoritarian, anti-democratic methods in the election campaign and political process without fear of significant criticism and political crises. The fact that the ruling party is fighting its own population, driving some into poverty and prosecuting others, does not bother most EU leaders, who have also acquired in recent years the habit of deceiving people and ignoring their interests. PAS has a free hand, as evidenced by the rule of the Buiucani court against the Bashkan of Gagauzia Evghenia Gutul in the case of allegedly illegal financing of political parties. The oppressive sentence of 7 years in a low-security jail (Svetlana Popan was sentenced to 6 years) confirms the regime’s control over the judicial system, and also proves that it will stop at nothing in the fight against its enemies. Banning individual political parties, judicial and political influence on elections up to their cancellation, criminal and media persecution of the opposition – today this practice has been tested in European countries and is used by the PAS regime “according to the guidelines”. This was done in Romania and France, and Germany is also discussing a ban on the main alternative force. Moldova is following the same path. The imprisonment of Evghenia Gutul, which was decided in a totalitarian ambience, based on faked information and accusations, and in violation of procedure, represents a PAS manifesto based on two key ideas – any pro-Russian opposition in Moldova will be banned by court order and the Gagauz autonomy will be dismantled. In fact, the ruling party is declaring a political war on a part of the country’s population, as well as on the region, intimating that the Gagauz local contexts, local needs and peculiarities of attitudes towards Russia, the European Union and the world are no longer a sound argument for the authorities. The autonomy will either integrate into the new realities, abandoning its own identity, or will be dissolved by force – the Gagauz have long been leaving en masse for Russia and Transdniestria to study in Russian and work. Evghenia Gutul’s lawyer is counting on the reaction of international organizations, but so far critical statements have only come from the Russian Federation, which does not worry PAS at all. Parties of the Pobeda (Victory) bloc will not participate in the parliamentary elections either jointly or separately - this is the decision of the Central Election Board controlled by the president’s office. Accordingly, it is difficult to count on a quick rehabilitation of the Gagauz Bashkan. On the contrary, many other oppositionists are “in limbo” (criminal cases have been opened against Igor Dodon and Marina Tauber), many have faced sanctions in Moldova and the EU and even entry restrictions. Thus, the authorities resort to criminal repression as a method of political struggle and reprisals against opponents. There is no and cannot be any dialogue between the authorities and society, whose representatives include opposition parties, due to the lack of interest in it of the current regime, which relies exclusively on external support. For PAS, EU membership ultimately becomes both a goal justifying the use of any means and an instrument for grip on power. At the same time, the sentence of Evghenia Gutul will not be unnoticed in Moldovan society. The form of the reaction will be a test of people’s ability for solidarity, empathy, self-organization and the ability to legal political protest aimed at defending own interests. First of all, the leaders of political parties should clearly voice what happened (what was said yesterday was more like “self comes first”), and even better, take actual steps. Vlad Filat’s “inhumans”, who was sentenced to a similar term, is a completely justified assessment, but completely insufficient today. The clashes near the courthouse between Gutul supporters and the pro-presidential crowd are just a form of political détente that does not particularly affect anything. In a statement sent through lawyers, Evghenia Gutul promised to fight and appeal the decision of the Buiucani court in higher courts. For her team and the Pobeda bloc, the verdict was expected, but nevertheless a painful blow, raising the question of the beginning of protests and the obligatory mobilization of their electorate in support of the opponents of PAS on September 28. The revision of the repressive judgement will become a condition for the transfer of votes in favor of the left bloc or Alternative. However, political technologies and humble statements cannot remain the only response to the ongoing injustice. PAS has shown that there are no more rules for conducting politics in Moldova and has outlined the boundaries of its supporters, including outer forces. Now the only question is how the opposition and its foreign partners will be able to respond.