The permanent political crisis in Moldova that has deteriorated recently is far from being resolved, Russian experts say

MOSCOW, October 19. /TASS/. The permanent political crisis in Moldova that has deteriorated recently is far from being resolved, Russian experts have told TASS. Tensions escalated after the arrest of the former prime minister and the leader of one of the parties of the ruling pro-European coalition, Vlad Filat, accused of involvement in stealing $1 billion from three banks. The Moldovan opposition also continues its mass protests since June, calling for the government's resignation and early elections. Experts see no single way out of the political deadlock and forecast further uncertainty and more tensions. In 2009, the coalition of three parties — the Democratic, the Liberal and the Liberal-Democratic (that was led by Filat) — united in the Alliance for European Integration managed to secure one deputy’s seat more than the Communists and oust them from power.

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But no European integration occurred despite the pledges. The coalition was split by differences between the parties and inside the parties accompanied by high-profile corruption scandals as the country continued further falling into poverty. It’s no surprise that the protest movement in Moldova is on such a large scale. The key role here was devoted to the non-political alliance Dignity and Truth (DA). Simultaneously but apart, Moldova’s Our Party of Renato Usatii and the Socialist Party of Igor Dodon, which local mass media say are pro-Russian, participate in this movement. Due to numerous scandals, the anti-rating of the ruling pro-European parties of Moldova has topped record levels while the rating of left-wing forces started growing instead. Brussels, which earlier praised Moldova as a "European success story," began sharply criticising the country’s authorities after the bank fraud and urged them to step up the anti-corruption fight. Many experts believe that the EU is behind the DA movement, saying Brussels seeks to oust politicians who have discredited themselves. "The idea of European integration has been strongly discredited in the eyes of common voters of Moldova due to the talentless governance of the coalition," historian Maxim Artemyev wrote on the Actual Comments portal.