Pre-Election Visits to Chisinau and Brussels: How the EU Is Backing PAS

Cristian RUSSU

Before the elections, the EU decided to support the ruling party not only by sending a high-level delegation of European leaders to mark the Republic’s Independence Day but also by organizing a trip to Brussels for a group of top local officials from Moldova

What could be more effective in attracting committed supporters of European integration than a cost-free trip to the EU capital? A warm welcome from high-ranking Brussels emissaries, the right words of solidarity and understanding of the realities of the Moldovan provinces, a rich cultural program with coffee breaks and evening dinners. “Processing” visitors from former colonies or socialist bloc republics has long been routine for Brussels. Standard itineraries and meetings with friendly officials, souvenir photos, long evening gatherings – many Moldovan youths have gone through this, including all current leaders and officials of the ruling party. And there, they perfectly understand how effective such recruitment is. Simple intimidation or bribery on the spot cannot achieve such results. A two-day trip for a target group of 27 mayors from Moldovan towns and villages was an excellent opportunity not only to make sweet promises of financial aid to certain mayors from opposition parties but also to establish horizontal connections among the mayors themselves. Moreover, EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, who officially invited the mayors, had already shown Moldovan citizens that she is “one of us,” capable of handling farm tools and feeding chickens. It is obvious that the ruling party insisted that the majority of the “airlifted” group be composed of its local members. For many, this was an important reward and a significant signal of continued support. Mayors impressed by the Brussels reception were expected to participate in the election campaign for PAS with particular zeal. However, European officials are accustomed to working with a long-term perspective, and it is important for them to maintain a veneer of political correctness in the campaign activities they organize. Therefore, representativeness in selecting the lucky group of visitors was mandatory. This was confirmed in media coverage of the visit, where the emphasis was placed precisely on the presence of representatives from opposition forces among the visitors. In practice, however, all the “representativeness” boiled down to the mayors of Balti and Drochia – Alexandru Petkov and Nina Cereteu from the Our Party. This was by no means accidental, as Renato Usatii’s political formation is considered the main potential coalition partner for the ruling party. Petkov himself actively gave interviews in Brussels and was extremely enthusiastic about the attention to his persona and the generous promises from European officials to fund projects in Balti. It appears that the mayors’ trip to Brussels will bring even greater practical benefits for PAS ahead of the elections than yesterday’s visit to Chisinau by the leaders of Germany, France, and Poland. Ultimately, the guests did not bring any sensational news regarding the acceleration of European integration. Only the customary words of approval for the Moldovan people’s choice and promises of support were voiced, along with the unwelcome association with Ukraine for Chisinau. In other words, there is still no sign of an exclusive or accelerated path for our country into the European family. Instead of the anticipated decision to open the first negotiation cluster on common legal matters, there were only promises to do everything possible to unblock negotiations on all chapters in the autumn. Autumn – when exactly? Before or after the elections? What prevented the trio of leaders from the leading EU countries from announcing that their countries had already decided to start negotiations with Moldova? The informal leader of the ruling party can be understood. For Maia Sandu, such diplomatic receptions and the attention of European leaders count as personal achievements, flattering her vanity. Macron’s and Tusk’s words in Romanian, their joint appearance on stage with her in front of the audience – all in the spirit of smart PR for a provincial region of Europe. Hence the childlike, unhidden joy on her face. But what will all this actually bring PAS in terms of percentage points? It should be noted that, in recent weeks, our authorities have become much more restrained in their assessments of upcoming decisions by Brussels and EU member states. Cristina Gherasimov, responsible for the European integration process, recently stated rather matter-of-factly that the analysis of Moldovan legislation in the field of justice has been completed and that our country is ready for the negotiations scheduled for September. In other words, this was an implicit acknowledgment that no symbolic gifts for Independence Day were expected. It can be said that concerts by Russian pop musicians in the capital’s main square bring more benefits to the ruling party than the arrival of the “trio of musketeers” in expensive suits, which yesterday caused airport passengers and city residents to experience the full joys of hour-long traffic jams and the inability to get home. At least, it was the Russian-language songs, sung in unison by residents of Chisinau and the city’s visitors, that brought Our Party additional percentage points of support, as reflected in the latest private opinion polls. Renato Usatii, apparently, is quite encouraged by this, which is why such shows are a “must go on” in his election campaign. Yesterday’s concert in Balti as a separate festive event confirmed this. Thus, PAS is entering the election race, which formally begins tomorrow, so far without any new injections of “Euro-positivity” doping. Consequently, the ruling party faces hard work on the ground, active involvement of all officials and functionaries in the campaign, and increasing pressure on all opposition forces.