The ruling by the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) on the invalidation of the new local polls in Chisinau undermines the Moldovan citizens’ confidence in the state’s institutions.  High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn have made statements to this effect in a joint statement.

In the declaration published on the webpage of the European External Action Service, the two EU officials said that “an independent justice, free from any political pressure, as well as trustworthy and transparent elections at all levels are the pillars of any democracy.”

„The non-transparent invalidation of the elections for the Chisinau city hall, confirmed by the Supreme Court of Justice from Moldova, deprives the Chisinau residents from their democratically elected mayor. This decision undermines the Moldovan people’s trust in the state’s institutions,” the declaration reads.

Federica Mogherini and Johannes Hahn also said in the statement that “EU expects from the Moldovan authorities to guarantee the independence of justice, in line with its international commitments, as one of the key principles of the rule of law state, a crucial element of the democracy and expected by the Moldovan citizens for a long time.” The European officials recommend that the Moldovan authorities take measures to make sure that the results of the new local elections, recognized by the national and international observers, are observed.

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