The Action and Solidarity Party together with the Dignity and Truth Platform Party, which previously formed the ACUM Bloc, drafted a declaration about continuing Moldova’s European path. The two parties sent the draft to the Democratic Party, which was willing to vote for it in the Parliament, but only after several amendments will be included. The Socialist Party stated that Moldova’s political parties should promote only a pro-Moldova direction and a balanced foreign policy. In June 2019, the ACUM Bloc together with the Socialist Party formed a governing coalition ousting Moldova’s tycoon and leader of the Democratic Party Vladimir Plahotniuc. However, five months later the Socialist Party together with the Democratic Party ousted the ACUM led government and voted for a new one.  

The president of the Action and Solidarity Party parliamentary faction said that the declaration on the irreversibility of the European path of Moldova was sent to the Democratic Party parliamentary faction. The declaration will be finalized and submitted for approval in the Parliament plenary session. 

“We have proposed to our Democratic Party colleagues from the Parliament this declaration. We drafted it and sent it to them. They returned with some comments and now we are discussing the final stage. It is a working document. It was only natural that we proposed such a document, as long as the Democratic Party declares that one of their priorities is European Integration. 

The document comes particularly now because we are at a time when we witness more and more how the Socialist Party is trying to bring us into the Eurasian Union zone, by burdening us with different credits from Russia, the Asian Bank, and so on. It is a declaration that I believe fits this context,” the President of the Action and Solidarity Party parliamentary faction, Igor Grosu, told ZdG. 

The Democrats say they received the document drafted by the Action and Solidarity Party members, claiming that they also proposed a series of amendments. 

“The document needs to be finalized. It needs to look like a document. They elaborated a draft. We have created our own draft, based on their draft. After including our visions in the document we’ve sent it back to them. 

We are waiting for them to inform us if they have any objections. And they do have some objections. We explained that this is our vision.

Our document reflects the terminology already accepted by the European Institutions. And we must not step out of the framework that foresees the European vision, but they are trying to introduce there some additional topics. 

We are in a creative process of identifying the best solutions. They sent us the document via mail. And they also gave us the paper. We’ve discussed and worked on this document, as these things are usually done,” said Dumitru Diacov, deputy of the Democratic Party parliamentary faction and the honorary President of the Democratic Party, when contacted by ZdG. 

Both the Action and Solidarity Party and the Democratic Party claim that signing and jointly voting such a document does not imply a potential coalition between ACUM and the Democratic Party. 

“No, no, this has nothing to do with a coalition. When you are in parliament and want to promote an initiative, you need the deputies’ votes. And it is a normal thing to have discussions with all those who at least pretend or declare that one of their party’s objectives is European Integration,” Grosu stated for ZdG. 

ZdG asked Diacov if this means that the Democratic Party and the ACUM Bloc will make a governing coalition together. 

“This does not imply a governing coalition between the ACUM Bloc and the Democratic Party. People are rushing to conclusions. They are building political constructions from a simple declaration. We are a faction following a European direction. They [the ACUM Bloc] claim that they also follow a European direction, and if it’s true, let’s make something out of it,” Diacov told us. 

The ACUM deputies will have a series of discussions with the Democratic Party to finalize the document. Later on, they will present in the Parliament the final version.  

According to Diacov, there are three sketches of the declaration on the reconfirmation of the European direction and the consistent promotion of the strategic and irreversible course of European integration.  One draft belongs to the Action and Solidarity Party and the Dignity and Truth Party Platform Party, another to the Democratic Party and in the third draft the Dignity and Truth Party Platform Party made some changes. 

Following the discussions about the declaration regarding Moldova’s European path, the Socialist Party reacted and stated it will propose another declaration, promoting a balanced foreign policy. 

The Socialists affirmed that political parties can only be pro-Moldova. 

“Moldova is a multiethnic country. The interest of the people is to flourish in peace and social harmony. Henceforth, the Parliament believes that the President’s and the Government’s priority should be following a balanced foreign policy. 

This implies the efficient implementation of the Association Agreement with the European Union (EU). Moldova should also implement the strategic partnerships established on the platform of governmental cooperation with Russia and also the new integration projects in the Community of Independent States (CIS) area, the strategic projects carried out with the United States of America, but also with our neighbors Romania and Ukraine. In the same context, we need to strengthen relations with all the member states of the EU and the CIS.” 

Previously the Democratic Party was using a pro-Moldova slogan. However, when we asked if this is a coincidence, we were told that the Socialist Party promotes this idea since 2011. 

On November 12, 2019, the Democratic Party together with the Socialist Party ousted the Government led by Maia Sandu, the co-leader of the ACUM Bloc. 

Shortly after the Sandu Government was ousted, the Democratic Party together with the Socialist Party voted for a new Prime Minister and a new Government. And although the Democratic Party together with the Socialist Party ousted the Sandu Government and voted for the new so-called technocratic government, the Democratic Party claimed there is no coalition with the Socialist Party.