With Moldova's Prime Minister Filip Pavel meeting European Council President Donald Tusk in Brussels on Tuesday 20 June and due to meet European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations on Wednesday 21 June, the spokesperson from the European External Action Service raised the EU's concerns, on Monday evening 19 June, about the draft revision of electoral legislation in the Republic of Moldova. The EEAS spokesperson said that, like the Venice Commission and OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the EU considered that "such a fundamental change, while a sovereign prerogative of the country, is not advisable this time".
In an EEAS press release, the spokesperson states that the EU shares the opinion of these institutions that "the proposed changes raise serious concerns in the current political context and that the existing polarisation around this legislative initiative is not indicative of meaningful consultation and a broad consensus among key stakeholders". The spokesperson says that that the most significant concerns include "risks of influence on candidates and on the design of single-mandate constituencies, excessive thresholds for parliamentary representation in the proportional component and risks of inadequate representation of minorities and women". In addition, the proposed revision does not address earlier recommendations of the Venice Commission and OSCE about the regulation and oversight of political party and campaign finance, the EEAS spokesperson adds.
The EU therefor expects the authorities of Moldova to respect the authority of the Venice Commission. "We encourage the Republic of Moldova to pursue and further deepen its close cooperation with the Council of Europe and its bodies, addressing all their concerns and recommendations", the EEAS spokesperson says, adding that if adopted, the proposed revision and its implementation would be assessed in light of Moldova's obligations as a member of the Council of Europe. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)