Brussels, 06/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 3 May, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton and European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle spoke of their “strong concern” about the recent changes to laws in Moldova. Ashton and Füle believed that this was a trend towards the deterioration of decision-making. The adoption of an amendment to the law on the constitutional court of Moldova, allowing removal of judges from this court if they do not have the trust of parliament, and a number of other important laws “touching upon fundamental issues for the functioning of Moldova's democracy have been adopted with extreme haste, and without proper consultation with Moldovan society, or appropriate regard to European standards on constitutional reform, in particular those of the Venice Commission”, Ashton and Füle state in a press release.
They therefore urged Moldova's political leaders “not to lose sight of the long-term impact of their decision, including on the achievement of Moldova's aspirations”.
According to Ashton and Füle, the laws that have been adopted focus on the electoral law, the threshold required for parties to enter parliament, the powers of the acting prime minister to dismiss ministers and heads of institutions, and a change in status of the national anti-corruption centre. “This follows a worrying new pattern of decision-making in Moldova, reflected also in other recent legislative moves, where the institutions of the state have been used in the interest of a few”, Ashton and Füle state. These measures could “constitute a threat to the independence of key national institutions, and an obstacle to Moldova's further democratic development and stable rule of law”, according to Ashton and Füle.
The head of the Venice Commission, Giannia Buquicchio, and the head of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Jean-Claude Mignon, have also expressed their concern. (CG/transl.fl)