EU Ambassador to Chisinau: Moldova Still Has a Long Way in Reforming Its Justice System

Over the past year, Moldova has achieved the most significant progress in the process of joining the European Union among all candidate countries, but it still has a long way to go in reforming its justice system. This was stated by the European Union Ambassador to Chisinau, Iwona Piorko. According to her, the authorities need to demonstrate visible results in investigating and punishing corruption, tv8.md reports. “Moldova began reforms a little later than other countries and still has a long way to go in the field of justice. We call this the ‘fundamental set of reforms’. It’s like building a house – if you don’t have a solid foundation, everything else will collapse. The same applies here. Without a doubt, there is still a lot to be done. But I believe in the people of this country and that the government will continue to meet their expectations,” said Iwona Piorko. The diplomat emphasized that passing laws is only part of the reform. “There are specific steps that need to be taken. But if I had to pick the most important one, it would be practice. We need not only laws, but also real success stories: investigations brought to court, perpetrators held accountable, and sentences carried out. Practice is the key element,” said the ambassador. Piorko recalled that it was the citizens of Moldova who were the first to demand reforms in the justice system and a real fight against corruption. Later, improving the justice system became an important condition for European integration.