MEPs Urge Commission to Suspend Aid to Moldova

The European Parliament has voted to cut off financial aid to Moldova for breaking democratic standards by cancelling elections in the Moldovan capital.

The centre-right grouping in the parliament, the European Popular Party, EPP, introduced the resolution on Thursday.

It was passed overwhelmingly by 343 votes to 35, with 160 abstentions. The European Social Democrats agreed that the invalidation of the mayoral election by the Moldovan Supreme Court on June 25 was wrong.

But they questioned whether Europe should cut off the first payment of macro-financial aid worth 100 million euros for Moldova, designed to aid reforms.

The resolution called on the Commission to suspend budget support for Moldova, using the precedent of July 2015, when another suspension took place following the so-called "grand theft" of about one billion US dollars from the Moldovan banking system during 2012-2014.

The resolution urged the Commission to include a list of conditions that Moldova must fulfil, including recognition of the election result in Chisinau and the conduct of fraud investigations with completely transparent results.

"The Supreme Court decision of June 25 deprives the citizens of Chisinau of a democratically elected mayor," the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, Federica Mogherini, told the European Parliament.

She noted that Moldova's electoral commission had also decided not to organise new elections, confirming that Chisinau will continue to be governed by a non-elected administration.

"These decisions undermine the trust of the citizens of Moldova in state institutions," Mogherini said, adding that the Moldovan authorities should find a way out of this unacceptable solution.

She also asked...