“He never took an interest in politics before”

Chiril Gaburici, a 38-year-old businessperson, has taken the helm of the government of Moldova. He got his vote of confidence from the nation’s parliament on February 18, as it appointed Gaburici as prime minister with 60 votes. The votes in support included those of the Liberal Democrats, the Democratic Party and, to everyone’s surprise, the Communists, who are opposed to Moldova’s European integration.

The prime minister is called a “pro-European” by the press. It is known that Gaburici led mobile operators in Moldova and then in Azerbaijan before entering the government.

“Moldova becoming a full member of the EU in a few years is a realistic prospect, so my government will not abandon the policy of European integration,” Gaburici declared in parliament. However, he also added that the relationship with Russia was “a priority” and we “should work to keep it.”

Socialist leader Igor Dodon did not support his candidacy. In his opinion, “this government will last till the fall at best.” Dodon believes that Gaburici either does not know “what quagmire he is entering,” or did it deliberately to “join the thieves who have been stealing for the past few years in their business.”

The new coalition, named “For a European Moldova,” includes three parties: the Liberal Democratic Party, the Democratic Party, and the Party of Communists of Moldova. The latter’s leader Vladimir Voronin has already stated his support for the government. However, it is not known so far how much this support will cost to the parties that advocate a rapprochement with the EU.

The Gaburici Cabinet includes candidates submitted in mid-February by the then prime minister Iurie Leanca. It should be noted that the Moldovan parliament rejected his candidacy for the office of prime minister, and he naturally took offense. “I do not believe that the Communists supported the government for free. My feeling is that they now call the shots in Moldova. I did not vote for this government,” Leanca stated.

The Day asked the program director of the Institute for Public Policy in Chisinau Oazu NANTOI to comment on the creation of a new coalition in Moldova, as well as on its political future.

“Gaburici’s candidacy emerged totally spontaneously. He never took an interest in politics before and was known in Moldova only as a mobile operator’s manager. He spent the past three years working in Azerbaijan. Gaburici’s appointment has not actually brought any massive changes to the government’s composition. This suggests that our MPs just tried to fool us for 72 days after the election, playing a strained performance aimed to fire Leanca.

“The new government got voted in quite cartoonishly. This government has no firm support in the parliament, as there are two ruling political parties and the Party of Communists with an unclear role. Will it become a reliable partner of these parties, or will it blackmail them? We will see soon, but there is little reason for optimism. The country has very serious issues, especially regarding long overdue reforms, not to mention the fight against corruption. The public has taken to the new government’s appointment without relief and without positive expectations.

“The Moldovans’ opinions are highly polarized now. MPs think they took their seats for a full term, that is, four years. However, there is quite a serious protest potential among the Moldovan population.

“At the same time, the reality of the recent elections in Moldova shows that we are in a very difficult situation. Experts increasingly say that Moldova is a state captured by a pair of oligarchs. They see much-maligned Vladimir Plahotniuc [businessperson, a leader of the Democratic Party. – Ed.], who owns controlling stakes in crucial enterprises, controls the Prosecutor General’s Office, the media, and certain financial flows, as one of these oligarchs. In this situation, discussing a European perspective for Moldova is an empty talk.

“On the one hand, using the government as a ‘lightning rod,’ dismissing it and appointing another prime minister is a quite common procedure in a parliamentary system. I do not believe that this government will last four years...”