It seems, a mass rally of Moldova’s new government supports planned for Sunday will be symbolic, rather than of practical meaning. After a week of resistance, the Democratic Party that ruled last years and its oligarch leader, Vlad Plakhotnyuk, obviously realized the futility of their undertaking and began to lose ground to the election winners - the Socialist Party and the pro-European bloc ACUM that announced the creation of a majority and government alliance in parliament (see VK Moldova becomes stormy). New Moldovan Foreign Minister Nikolai Popescu already made his first visit to in Paris.
Popescu's trip to France was an additional confirmation that the West recognized the new Moldovan government. Official representatives of a number of states acknowledged this a week ago when the socialists and ACUM announced the creation of a majority in the parliament in the presence of specially invited foreign diplomats. Russia has also recognized the new government - during the growing confrontation with the former government Moscow offered Moldovan President Igor Dodon any kind of help.
Obviously, the support of various political centers competing with each other, but managed to find common ground on the Moldovan issue, changed the situation. Plus, the readiness of the population to arrange a mass rally in support of the new government on Sunday. Plus, the tacit support of the army that declared neutrality and non-interference in internal political processes. Plus, on June 14, the mayors of Moldovan cities came to the parliament thus demonstrating loyalty to the new Maia Sandu’s cabinet.
Under such pressure, the democratic government headed by Prime Minister Pavel Filip, who by the decision of the Constitutional Court became the acting president, fell. The decision to resign was made at a meeting of the political council of the Democratic Party with the wording of subordination ... to the decree of the current President Igor Dodon, who, as mentioned above, was dismissed by the Constitutional Court. However, it seems that today no one wants to pay attention to such nonsense. The main thing - the country is done with a dangerous diarchy.
Vlad Plahotniuc fled from Moldova. Whether to Odessa or somewhere to Turkey ... The relevant rumors have been circulating in Chisinau since yesterday. Nobody had exact information. The media shared this information, but with so many reservations that it became clear there is either no reliable data or journalists, under external pressure, are forced to beat around the bush.
The Democratic Party ended the arisen uncertainty by declaring that Plakhotnyuk had really left the republic, but only for a few days to visit his family. And then the dam overflowed. Immediately there were messages about the departure not only of Plakhotnyuk, but also other prominent representatives of the Democratic Party, and even another oligarch - Ilan Shor, suspect on a sensational case of a withdrawal of one billion euros from local banks. The media clarify that they escaped on private jets.
Commenting on the situation, Dodon expressed regret that the new authorities still have no opportunity to take control of the airport, prevent the departure and bring to justice those who “need to be brought to justice”. “But if necessary, we will definitely find them,” the president assured.
Prime Minister Maia Sandu, in her turn, urged the country's population not to abandon the planned rally in support of the new authorities, despite the changed situation, so that there is no doubt that Moldovan people is fed up with oligarchs and people really want changes.
Recall that last Sunday, the Constitutional Court of Moldova declared invalid the creation of a parliamentary majority by the Socialist Party and the ACUM bloc in favor of the informal ruler of the country, Vlad Plakhotniuk. The decision was made due to the expiration of the time determined by the Constitution to create a majority after the parliamentary elections. The same day, the Constitutional Court announced the suspension of the powers of the current President, Igor Dodon, and appointment of the Acting President Prime Minister Pavel Filip. The new government responded by defying these decisions and was blocked in the parliament building by supporters of the Democratic Party. Chisinau has already begun to discuss the issue of holding new early parliamentary elections when a number of European countries announced the recognition of the government of the socialists and the ACUM bloc. The process of recognition of the new authorities became irreversible, despite the resistance of Plahotniuc and his Democratic Party. A number of experts attributed his stubbornness to the fact that the oligarch is wanted in several countries on charges of committing various crimes, and, after surrounding at homeland, he simply has nowhere to go - he is expected to be imprisoned everywhere, and not for a short time. However, internal and external pressure appeared to be stronger.
Recall that the parliamentary elections in Moldova took place on February 24. 101 mandates were distributed as follows: 35 for the socialists, 30 for the Democrats and 26 for the ACUM. None of these forces could form the government alone.
However, it is naive, perhaps, to assume that the political crisis in Moldova with the removal of the Democratic Party from power has ended. More likely is that a new one will start soon. After all, the Socialists and ACUM united not because of any particular sympathy to each other. The creation of the alliance was a forced step precisely for the sake of the removal of Plakhotniuk and his party. And the distribution of forces in the branches of power is not in favor of the coordinated work in the future. Thus, in the parliament headed by socialist Zinaida Grecianii, the positions of the Socialist Party which has the reputation of being pro-Russian are strong, and in the government headed by Maia Sandu - the pro-European bloc ACUM. With this in mind, the question of expanding the powers of President Igor Dodon, the nominee from the Socialist Party, remains open.
Will Moldovan politicians risk making constitutional changes in order to avoid future political crises in power that have been raging in the country almost from the very first day of independence at the price of possible personal losses in the present? The question is rather a rhetorical one.
