Natalia Gavrilița, Prime Minister of Moldova, heads a new government focused on Western countries. Moldova has been plagued by instability, corruption and growing poverty for many years. Today Natalia Gavrilița aims to reform the country and bring it closer to the European Union. interviewed during her first trip to Brussels.
Sándor Zsiros, euronews:
“It is perhaps no coincidence that you have chosen Brussels for your first trip abroad since your appointment. What message do you want to send to the European Union?”
Natalia Gavrilița, Prime Minister of Moldova:
“Our message is that Moldova is showing renewed energy and enthusiasm to fight corruption, improve its institutions and ensure the rule of law, as well as economic stability and growth, in short, to ensure that we move closer to European values, standards and way of life. “
“Moldovan citizens are fed up with politicians who embezzle money”
Sándor Zsiros:
“Throughout history, Moldova has hesitated between looking to Russia or to Western countries. Do you think the current pro-Western orientation is here to stay? And how are you going to fit it into the time ?”
Natalia Gavrilița:
“We were elected with a large score, on an essentially national program, not on the question of choosing between East and West, but on the choice of a better life for the people of Moldova. Moldovan citizens are tired of governments who lie, politicians who embezzle money, public services that are not useful to the population and decisions that do not take into account the general interest. And what they expressed in these elections was that they wanted a government that they could trust, that is, a government that every day makes decisions with the mind in mind. general interest and not that of a few. So, is this a pro-European or a pro-Russian program? In reality, it is a pro-citizens program. “
“We clean up our institutions and state-owned businesses”
Sándor Zsiros:
“You have to fight corruption, transform the economy. How are you going to progress in these areas?”
Natalia Gavrilița:
“We start, of course, by cleaning our institutions. A few weeks ago, we stopped a large public acquisition where money was embezzled. We are cleaning the governing bodies and companies owned by the State. We stop corruption in government. At the same time, we have started work on legislation to ensure that the judiciary is more accountable. We have made the Attorney General more accountable for performance of the judiciary. “
Sándor Zsiros:
“Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe. What are you going to do to make the economy work better for its citizens?”
Natalia Gavrilița:
“In the thirty years of instability and rampant corruption that we have experienced, the private sector has also served vested interests. So what we want to do is significantly reduce the barriers to entrepreneurship. We want to lift monopolies in different sectors, improve legislation to make it easier for various companies to find their place. We are considering reducing bureaucracy for small and medium-sized enterprises. We want to reform the control function exercised. by the government. And of course we want that stability for the next four years with a president, a parliament and a government all working in the same direction. And we hope to seize this opportunity to attract more investment to our country. “
“These European-style reforms must be irreversible”
Sándor Zsiros:
“Fighting corruption is always risky. Do you feel safe? Do you think the government has enough support to fight this fight?”
Natalia Gavrilița:
“The citizens support us in a massive way and this is what pushes us to move forward. Personally, I feel safe because we are doing the right thing and I am sure that both our citizens and our partners will provide us with the best possible protection. “
Sándor Zsiros:
“At the moment, the European Union is not ready for further enlargement. How do you see the next decades for Moldova?”
Natalia Gavrilița:
“I think that European enlargement and European integration are long processes. We are well aware that we must carry out the requested reforms and dramatically improve the way our institutions operate. We need to improve the standard of living of our people. We also have to make sure that these European style reforms are irreversible and then we can talk about enlargement. But in the meantime, nothing prevents us from working with the European Union in more depth in specific areas. “
Separatist region of Transnistria: “Make the right bank more attractive for the population of the left bank”
Sándor Zsiros:
“What could be the solution for the breakaway region of Transnistria?”
Natalia Gavrilița:
“We are working to make the right bank of the Dniester River in Moldova more attractive to the population of the left bank. By improving our institutions, by fighting corruption, we are helping to move towards reintegration by making the bank right more attractive for those on the left bank. Second, we find it useful, the cleaning that is done in the systems of corruption which existed between the right and left banks. It was also a conflict which was fueled – or, I would say, which was maintained – because of the profits made in the service of special interests on both sides of the river. So we are trying to stem corruption at that level as well. “
Sándor Zsiros:
“Would you be prepared to sit around a table with the Russian leadership to talk about their military presence there?”
Natalia Gavrilița:
“We have always been clear about this and the position of the Moldovan authorities, whatever the government, has not changed for thirty years: we have always called for a withdrawal of Russian troops. We also want to speed up the resolution of the problem of the weapons stored on the left bank, in the region of Cobasna. Of course, we said during the campaign that we were going to implement a balanced foreign policy, meeting the needs of the citizens. And we are ready to do whatever it takes to protect the interests of our citizens and the general interest. “
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