Main focus of Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Inconsistencies in Moldova

Following the election victory of the communists in the Republic of Moldova in early April the country's constitutional court has ordered a recount of the votes. International observers did not question the results but demonstrators in the capital Chişinău point to inconsistencies and are demanding new elections.

România Liberă - Romania

With an eye to the planned recounting of votes in Moldava, Elena Vijulie gives an ascerbic description of communism and electoral fraud in the daily Romania Libera: "The communist regimes are experts in blending truth with lies. ... The OSCE election observers were overwhelmed with an array of charts and tables on the basis of which they pronounced the election correct. The Dutch journalist with whom I went to the emergency unit at the hospital asked a 19-year-old youth if he'd spoken with a lawyer and if he'd been allowed to call his parents from the police station. Yes, he said in French. Yes - he went on in Romanian - but only after he'd been so badly beaten about the head that he suffered a concussion. ... In view of the pain suffered by this young man who was so badly beaten by the police in Chişinău, the East European EU member states have the duty to sign the final document of the Cold War: a ban and condemnation of communism in the entire civilised world. The East European states know the face of the devil. Now [the rest of Europe] must classify it as such, alongside fascism." (14/04/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU enlargement, » Europe, » Eastern Europe, » Western Europe, » Romania
All available articles from » Elena Vijulie

To Ethnos - Greece

Giorgos Delastik see the protests against the communists' victory in the presidential elections as largely unsuccessful. "The attempt at a 'coloured' revolution in Moldova failed, at least in its first phase. This confirms once again the view that the model in which thousands of organised demonstrators, led by secret agents of the governments of former Soviet republics, try to overthrow [a government] in a putsch-like move … is experiencing a profound crisis. … The case of Moldova has the peculiarity that of all countries Romania is being portrayed as the organiser of the putsch attempt - a country which has been heavily dependent on the US ever since it became a Nato member and which is showing a particularly aggressive attitude by aligning itself with the extremist circles of the former US government of George [W.] Bush." (13/04/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Domestic Policy, » Eastern Europe
All available articles from » Giorgos Delastik

Blog Achse des Guten - Germany

In the blog Achse des Guten [axis of good] Richard Wagner comments on statements by Romanian writer Mircea Cartarescu about the riots in Moldova: "Cartarescu also criticises the silence of the Romanian authorities, and above all of President Traian Basescu, reminding him of his public condemnation of communism. Cartarescu adds that he would like to believe the president is a patriot. He then goes on to accuse the Romanian public of not supporting the protests. ... The Republic of Moldova is not just any country, he says, it is Romanian, its population speaks Romanian, making Romania a sort of mother country. One can certainly find it regrettable, but the fact is that a majority of Moldovans see things differently, especially regarding the elections. It may be a source of embarrassment for Romanians that the Moldovans prefer the local communists to the big brothers from Romania, but people in Europe have provisionally accepted the election results. Writers - even those with nationalist sympathies - should do the same." (14/04/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Domestic Policy, » Europe, » Romania
All available articles from » Richard Wagner

NRC Handelsblad - Netherlands

Even if the situation calms down in the Republic of Moldova the worries will remain, the daily NRC Handelsblad writes, pointing out that the country is caught between Romania, and thus the EU, and Russia: "And even more troubling is that the conflict has already taken on international dimensions. Russia immediately took sides with [President] Vladimir Voronin. Foreign Minister [Sergey] Lavrov warned Romania and Nato not to implement a 'secret agenda' against Russia. This is typical language, but nonetheless Europe must now take it seriously. EU foreign policy coordinator Javier Solana already expressed 'concern' on Tuesday. But with his special action plan for Moldova Europe can do more to prevent further polarisation, namely by seeking forms of cooperation in Moscow that promote peace and calm without undermining Moldova's sovereignty." (14/04/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Security Policy / Crises / War, » Russia, » Europe, » Eastern Europe

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