Irina Vlah, leader of the Republican Party “Heart of Moldova”, stated that negotiations on Moldova’s accession to the European Union will only make sense if the situation in the country is assessed honestly. In this context, she called on ambassadors of EU member states accredited in Chișinău not to turn a blind eye to what she described as suppression of freedom of expression, persecution of the opposition, politically controlled justice and other “achievements” of the PAS government.

In an open letter addressed to EU ambassadors, Irina Vlah noted that the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the European Union had recently announced that the official opening of negotiation chapters with Moldova could begin as early as June, starting with Cluster 1 — Fundamentals, which covers rule of law, judicial reform and fundamental rights.

According to the politician, Moldova is facing serious problems in all these areas.

“It is no secret that, after the authorities’ attempts in recent years to reform the justice system, it has become practically dysfunctional, not to mention politically controlled. Legislation is tailored to the interests of the ruling party, and the best example is the amendment of the Law on Political Parties just a few months before the parliamentary elections through abusive changes later used against the opposition,” she stated.

Irina Vlah also claimed that fundamental rights in Moldova exist “only on paper”, while much of the media is politically controlled and independent outlets are allegedly harassed or shut down.

She referred to reports by international organizations, including the Democracy Index, where Moldova was recently downgraded from a “flawed democracy” to a “hybrid regime”, citing setbacks in political pluralism, election organization, pressure on the opposition and political influence over institutions.

The politician further stated that the authorities ignored recommendations issued by the Venice Commission, GRECO, Amnesty International, as well as election observation missions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the OSCE/ODIHR.

According to Irina Vlah, the PAS government is also preparing new amendments to the Electoral Code concerning electoral lists and republican referendums, which she claims could allow “a relatively small number of voters” to decide on issues as significant as the future existence of the Republic of Moldova as a state.

She concluded her letter by urging EU ambassadors to inform their governments about “the real situation” in Moldova regarding the rule of law, judicial reform and human rights.

“If officials in your countries know the real situation in detail, they will be able to condition the opening of negotiations on Cluster 1 on concrete actions that Moldovan authorities must undertake to ensure genuine democratic development. This is a real chance to bring Moldova back to democracy, and I count on your support in this regard,” Irina Vlah stated.