New president brings Moldova closer to EU

The parliament of the Republic of Moldova on Friday elected the independent judge Nicolae Timofti as the country's new president, giving the country an elected leader for the first time in two and a half years. The daily Evenimentul Zilei expects the 63-year-old candidate of the Alliance for European Integration to deliver just what the coalition's name suggests: "In an interview before the vote Timofti stated that if he's elected he will push forward with European integration and lend his support to the reforms - above all in the judiciary - necessary to that end. At the same time he proposed a first official visit to Brussels to underscore his country's commitment to Europe. ... The result won't thrill Moscow. The Kremlin wanted a president in Chişinău who would support the Russian troops in Transnistria and give more autonomy to the separatists in [its capital] Tiraspol. ... Politically speaking things have now become more stable, even if economically the difficulties are only starting. But Chişinău is counting on support from Bucharest on that score."

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