Foreign Policy Association together with Friedrich­Ebert-Stiftung offer you a newsletter on foreign policy and European integration issues of the Republic of Moldova. The newsletter is part of the “Foreign Policy Dialogue” joint Project. NEWSLETTER MONTHLY BULLETIN APRIL 2021 NO.4(182) Synthesis and Foreign Policy Debates The newsletter is developed by Mădălin Necșuțu, editor-coordinator TOPICS OF THE EDITION: 1. Olesea Stamate, presidential advisor: “Corruption is a widespread and deeply rooted phenomenon in Moldova” 2. Ion Sturza, former Prime Minister of Republic of Moldova, president of APE: “The public perception, which is not far from reality, is that the system is deeply corrupt” 3. Editorial by Mariana Rață, journalist, TV8: “Justice, in deliberation. It’s been 10 years!” 4. Expert Opinion, Iulian Rusu: “Integrity should be promoted by strengthening the efforts, but also the integrity control mechanisms of ANI, CSM and CSP” News in Brief The Constitutional Court suspended on April 23 the two decisions of the Parliament, which aimed at dismissing the Chairperson of the Constitutional Court, Domnica Manole, and appointing Boris Lupașcu.“The interim Chairperson of the Constitutional Court admitted(…) the claim to suspend the action of the parliament decision regarding the annulment by partial withdrawal of the parliament decision no. 121 from 16 August 2019 on the appointment of a judge of the Constitutional Court and the parliament decision from 23 April 2021 on the appointment of a judge of the Constitutional Court, submitted by Sergiu Litvinenco, deputy in the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova”, reads a statement of the Constitutional Court. The decision is final and cannot be appealed. On the morning of April 23, the parliamentary majority voted a decision to revoke the judge of the Constitutional Court, Domnica Manole, motivating that the Parliament is the body with the capacity to do so. The Government of Romania provided to the Republic of Moldova, free of charge, 132,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine. The given doses from the reserve of the Romanian Ministry of Health were sent on April 17 to the National Agency for Public Health of the Republic of Moldova, in order to manage the pandemic against COVID-19.“In order to provide support to the Republic of Moldova to combat the spread of the new coronavirus, 2 more vaccine transport missions were carried out, totalling a number of 72,000 doses, on February 27 and March 27, 2021, respectively,” said the Department for Emergency Situations from Bucharest. In December 2020, during a visit to Chisinau by the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, the Romanian official announced that Romania would send to Chisinau an aid of 200,000 doses of vaccine against COVID-19. On the same day, the Republic of Moldova received another 48,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine against sent through the COVAX platform, a partnership between CEPI, Gavi, UNICEF and WHO. The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, paid an official visit to the Council of Europe(CoE), Strasbourg, on April 19, where she discussed with European officials issues related to justice reform, the fight against high-level corruption, the development of an economic recovery programme, cooperation with local public authorities and regional security. Maia Sandu has also reiterated the commitment of the Republic of Moldova to fulfil the obligations assumed upon joining the CoE on building a viable rule of law.“Smuggling, money laundering, hybrid threats are all transnational threats. We have noted that many Eastern European countries are also struggling with weak institutions, which increases our collective insecurity in the region. I understand that there is a fatigue in Europe regarding the prolonged democratic transformation. People in my country are also tired of hearing about endless reforms and failed attempts to provide a better life for all. Authentic transformations require strong political will,” said Maia Sandu in Strasbourg. The Council of Europe also launched, on Monday, the Council of Europe Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova for the years 2021-2024 in the presence of the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Maria Pejcinovici Burici. The key to a successful reform: judicial integrity above all Mădălin Necșuțu Decimated by power struggles over the past 30 years and a fragile democracy, Moldova needs a“zero moment” in terms of justice reform, perhaps the most important sector that, once reformed, would end the transition period of the last three decades. The Republic of Moldova is facing a touchstone. We have witnessed in recent months, starting with December 2020, a real assault on the rule of law in which Monthly newsletter, No.4(182), April 2021 111 Bucuresti St., Chisinau, MD-2012, Republic of Moldova, Tel.+373 855830 Website: fes-moldova.org. E-mail:fes@fes-moldova.org