On May 3, 2013 after a long, hard and untreatable disease, hit by a blind bullet at a boar hunting, died the wunderkind of the Eastern Partnership, the spoiled schoolgirl of Europe – the Success Story of Moldova. In the last moments of her life, she was accompanied by her father Vladimir Filat, President of the Liberal Democratic Party and her step uncle Vladimir Voronin, President of the Communist Party.

Under the eyes of her helpless mother MFA, they did everything in their power in order to bring to life the fragile heart of the Success Story. Jointly and unhindered, not even by Putin, they applied a risky but innovative treatment of shock therapy. Only in three hours the electoral threshold has been raised in order to increase the number of red blood cells in the wunderkind’s parliamentary blood, the immovability status of the Constitutional Court has been annulled as to reduce the risk of eventual vein thrombosis, the National Anticorruption Center has been returned to the Government in order to prevent potential governmental constipations and the competences of the acting Government and Prime Minister have been adjusted in order to streamline and purify the governmental blood. Unfortunately, the treatment failed. 

The news regarding the sudden death of the Success Story shocked the whole Europe. Several renowned European officials as Baronesses Catherine Ashton, Vice-president of the European Commission, Stefan Fule, European Commissioner, Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Jean-Claude Mignon, President of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, Ambassador Janez Lenarčič, Representative of the OSCE office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and also Traian Basescu, President of Romania, sent their condolences and profound regrets to the Success Story’s parents and relatives.  

At the same time, they were deeply outraged and perplexed over the treatment used to resuscitate the fragile wunderkind of the Eastern Partnership. In particular, they criticized the excessive doses of constitutional and electoral electroshocks applied, and also the haste and lack of transparency with which the medical recipes were prescribed and administered. In their view, all these blunders had fatal consequences for the patient, paralyzing her Democratic kidney and European heart.

In Chisinau there is no unanimity regarding the treatment prescribed by Mr. Filat and Voronin.  In particular unhappy are the former allies of the Liberal Democratic Party. Marian Lupu, President of the Democratic Party, believes that we are dealing with the hijacking and seizing of the wunderkind from its European integration path, and Dorin Chirtoaca, deputy leader of the Liberal Party and Mayor of Chisinau, believing that on May 3rd, the Success Story was crucified by PLDM and PCRM, on the European Golgotha. On the other hand, some local experts independent of Moldova’s Oligarch Vlad Plahotniuc see in Filat - Voronin shock therapy the promising beginning of Moldova’s fight against organized crime and mafia groups, as the saying goes “conquering death by death”.

Vlad Filat and Vladimir Voronin utterly reject the criticism of Europeans and the insinuations of their political opponents. In the view of Mr. Filat, the shock therapy engineered by PLDM and PCRM was not only necessary, but also fully assumed and PLDM was, is and will always be unconditionally dedicated to Moldova’s European future. Mr. Voronin does not care about the critics and worries expressed by the European official. He believes that after four years of European integration, on May 3rd, PLDM and PCRM have restored the legal and democratic order in Moldova. 

Nevertheless, the acting Moldovan Government has promised that the European institutions remarks "will be analyzed in terms of ensuring a real system of separation and balance of powers in the State, while being fully made aware the need for these principles to be reflected not just in the final result of the undertaken reforms, but to preserve them throughout the sequence of procedures and processes involved (Government Press Release of May 8, 2013).  Putting it simply, which means leaving aside the wooden European integration language, “dear Europeans mind you own business...”.  

On May 9th, 2013, on Europe’s day, the Success Story has been accompanied on its last journey by the county’s high officials, acting and non-acting (for now), Dimitri Rogozin, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Ambassador of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Moldova, by the old stars of the Soviet Estrada Iosif Kobzon and Lev Lescenko, the Russian military Choir which came on this special occasion from Moscow, thousands of Moldovans, Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Bulgarians and Gagauz prostrated with the deep grief and pain for the fate of our Success Story. Instead of requiem table, the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Moldova organized an unforgettable requiem concert in the central square of Chisinau (National Assembly Square) with the motto ”Kto ne Prazdnuiet, Tot Proigral” (Who does not celebrate, That have lost). Moldovans have cried and cheered, as they are used to, Kobzon has sung ”Ia Liubliu tebea Jizni” (I love you, Life), Lev Leșcenco "Deni Pobedy" (Victory Day) and Dimitri Rogozin has sang us Hallelujah. 

The affable Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin encouraged us not to despair, because Moldova has all the necessary qualities to become a success story of the Eurasian Union. On behalf of Putin, and from the heart of National Assembly Square, he assured us that Russia loves us, it never forgets us, it always had, has and will have us as its best friends and promised to Moldovans a better future in the Eurasian Union, alongside Lukashenco. A more delightful end for the Europe’s Success Story couldn’t even be imagined. Hallelujah Alliance for European Integration, Hallelujah the European and democratic politicians!    

Epilogue: Next week Stefan Fule, the European Commissioner for Enlargement will come to Chisinau, possibly to take farewell of the defunct AIE and to leave a bunch of white roses at the grave of the Eastern Partnership Success Story. Good Night Moldovans, your borders are guarded well enough…   

Victor Chirila
Executive Director
Foreign Policy Association