The party of the European Left notes with deep concern the process of rapid backsliding on democracy in the Republic of Moldova. The control over the absolute majority of state institutions in this country is concentrated in the hands of a narrow group of individuals, a fact that could be qualified as usurpation of power.

We consider it to be an unacceptable situation when the authorities use the state institutions in order to exercise pressure against undesirable persons. A show trial against Grigore Petrenco and his colleagues lasts already 8 months, and there is no reason for us to believe in the objectivity of the investigation on this case. 80% of mayors from different localities of the Republic of Moldova are defendants in criminal or civil cases many of which have been opened on flimsy pretexts as a kind of blackmail.

At the same time, the investigation on the scandalous case of theft of a billion dollars does not show any progress. That is an additional stimulus for the further spreading of corruption on all the levels. The current parliamentary majority has been created due to the phenomenon of political corruption and thus cannot be considered as a legitimate one.

The party of the European Left states, that there is evidence of a constitutional coup inherent in the decision adopted in March by the Moldovan Constitutional Court regarding significant changes in the Basic Law about the new procedure of the President’s election. The constitutional Court became a politically engaged institution in Moldova. It has not only exceeded its powers but also has contributed to the deepening of crisis in the country and thus cast doubt on the legitimacy of the next Presidential elections. This verdict can be seen as a logical part of systematic work on the destruction of the principle of the rule of law. Existence of such dangerous unconstitutional precedents once again confirms the fact that the Republic of Moldova is a captured state.

In this regard, the party of the European Left appeals to the European Council, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Europe with a request to take a more active position on the official level in order to stop the oppression of democracy and discrediting of European values in the Republic of Moldova.

Also, we urge the leadership of the Socialist International urgently to take appropriate action against one of the main instigators and beneficiaries of the usurpation of power in Moldova – the Democratic party that has been a full member in this international social-democratic organization since 2010.