Republic of Moldova in spotlight of Council of Europe

Co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica and Antonio Gutiérrez Limones are paying a fact-finding visit to the Republic of Moldova on 14–17 June to learn about the latest political developments and the reforms currently being implemented.

According to the Parliament, the visit’s agenda includes discussions on combating corruption, justice reform, local public administration reform, and the process of settling the Transnistrian conflict. The European officials will also review the new procedural rules set out in the Code on the Organization and Functioning of Parliament.

During the visit, the PACE co-rapporteurs will hold meetings with Speaker Igor Grosu, head of the legal committee on rules and immunities Veronica Roșca, as well as with representatives of all parliamentary factions.

The program also includes talks with Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mihai Popșoi, Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Valeriu Chiveri, and Minister of Justice Vladislav Cojuhari.

In addition, the Council of Europe officials will meet with President of the Constitutional Court Domnica Manole and representatives of justice-sector institutions, including the Superior Council of Prosecutors, the Superior Council of Magistracy, the National Anticorruption Center, and the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office.

In the context of the visit, roundtable discussions are also planned with experts and representatives of civil society. The discussions will focus on parliamentary oversight, local public administration reform, and combating corruption, including electoral corruption.

The Republic of Moldova has been a member state of the Council of Europe since 1995, and the visit of the PACE co-rapporteurs is part of the process of monitoring the country’s commitments within the European organization.

The PACE Monitoring Committee is one of the most important bodies of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, tasked with verifying how member states fulfill the obligations and commitments they undertook upon joining the Council of Europe. The Committee monitors the functioning of democratic institutions, respect for the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, the fight against corruption, and the protection of human rights. For each state under monitoring, co-rapporteurs are appointed to carry out periodic fact-finding visits and to prepare reports that are subsequently presented within PACE.