PRESIDENT DODON ACQUIRING POWER LEVERS, BUT KREMLIN IS NOT CELEBRATING FULL VICTORY YET – IPG PUBLICATION

“Blessed by Moscow” is the headline of the article published by the IPG portal [International Politics and the Society] and dedicated to the current situation of Moldova.

Its author, Russia’s Kommersant newspaper correspondent Vladimir Solovyov wrote that Moldova President Igor Dodon “is acquiring real levers of power, but it is premature for the Kremlin to celebrate a full victory yet”.

“President Igor Dodon will at last acquire a real power because in the parliamentary Republic of Moldova, presidential plenary powers have been strongly restricted, and key decisions are taken by prime minister. All this will be advantageous also for Moscow, which has been supporting Dodon cince 2014, when his independent political career began”, wrote the author.

In his words, “Receipt of a full control over the country by the man, whom Russia put its stake on 5 years ago, is opening broad perspectives”.

“In Moldova, there are several attractive assets that are causing Russian investors’ interests. Among them are e.g. the Chisinau International Airport and the port of Giurgiulesti situated at the lower reaches of the Danube River – Moldova’s only outlet to the Black Sea [and any sea at all]”, said the article.

Its author is not ruling out changes that may take place on the Transnistrian direction: Igor Dodon stands up for settling the Transnistrian conflict through providing the unrecognized Transnistrian republic with a special legal status within a re-united Republic of Moldova. And Russia abides by this position as well.

Vladimir Solovyov wrote that Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak, who is in charge of the ‘Moldovan direction’ in the Russian government, had already prepared one plan of federalization of the Republic of Moldova – in 2003. Such a settlement is well in harmony with Donbass [eastern Ukrainian region comprising the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk republics], where a conflict de-escalation has begun.

The author draws attention to the fact that the tacit pact concluded between Russia and the West on neutrality with respect to Moldova has ceased working due to the break-up of the coalition of the Socialists and ACUM bloc. Consequently, a resumption of geopolitical confrontation may be awaiting the country.

The article said that ex-Premier Maia Sandu, whose resignation was called by the European Union as “an alarming signal for reforms” and by the United States Embassy in Chisinau – “unfortunate”, has stepped down from the Premier’s post but not from politics.

“She has retired, firstly, by having achieved the resumption of funding by the European Union. And secondly – in the image of a fighter against corruption, who was not permitted to implement reforms. This is a pretty good starting position for participation in the presidential election of late-2020. In the previous presidential election, Sandu lost to Igor Dodon merely 67 thousand votes… Now the story is repeating albeit partly: Dodon has fired Maia Sandu with the help of the [Democratic] party of fugitive tycoon Vlad Plahotniuc. To erase such a stain on one’s political reputation will be possible only by means of some loud successes that will have to be ensured by Moscow, which has now changed roles with the European Union that had in fact maintained Moldova since 2009”, wrote Vladimir Solovyov.