Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-02-23-Speech-3-171"
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"en.20050223.15.3-171"2
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".
Mr President, judging from the Council and the Commission, the Commissioner and the President-in-Office of the Council, it is clear that all of us – by which I mean the three institutions – have to give Moldova, the Moldovan Government, a joint signal in the run-up to the elections of 6 March, and that is also the very objective of today’s debate and of the resolution which we in this House will undoubtedly be adopting by a large majority tomorrow.
Next Sunday, the Moldovan people will be able to have their say about the composition of a new parliament, and that is, of course, an important day for that country, for those elections will also result in a new national government. I personally think that the poor shape Moldova itself is in will set the tone for the election campaign, because that country’s development over the past year does not really instil hope. It has now become Europe’s poorest country.
To us, I think that there are two other issues of key importance. Firstly, there is the issue of Transnistria and the quest for a solution to the unacceptable situation in that part of Moldova. I think that only a government with democratic legitimacy will have the authority to facilitate, and get involved in, new initiatives. There is now room for this.
This morning, President Yushchenko made a clear statement about the new Ukrainian Government’s willingness to help find a solution, and this is where Ukraine’s help is absolutely necessary. What I think matters, though, is that the elections should result in a government possessing the authority to help find solutions. In addition, as the Commissioner has already pointed out, that country’s future orientation is an important topic, and by and large, the parties seem to be agreed on the need for it to draw closer to Europe and to the European Union. Needless to say, we would warmly welcome a new government in Chisinău setting course for Europe, and the action plan agreed upon with Moldova in the framework of the neighbourhood policy offers the concrete framework for this.
Cooperation and political relations with the European Union cannot be improved, however, unless the Moldovan Government’s mandate is based on an entirely democratic expression of the popular will; if not, it will be difficult to have dealings with that country in the years ahead. A government that has been legitimised by the population is the EU’s first contact and when that government opts for a credible European course, it can count on the EU’s support. When, however, the elections fail to meet democratic standards, that casts a shadow over future cooperation. A democratic and credible regime and leadership are a
for European involvement.
That is why we urge the present government to make every effort to ensure that the elections and the campaigns be conducted fairly and openly, and that is why balanced access to the media must be guaranteed across the political divide. For the rest, I would concur with what the Commissioner said in this respect, and we also greatly appreciate the Commission’s commitment to those elections."@en1
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