The National Interest of The Republic of Moldova in The Contextof European Integration Process' Deepening
The National Interest of The Republic of Moldova in The Contextof European Integration Process' Deepening
The National Interest of The Republic of Moldova in The Contextof European Integration Process' Deepening
CONTEXTOFEUROPEANINTEGRATIONPROCESSDEEPENING
THENATIONALINTERESTOFTHEREPUBLICOFMOLDOVAINTHECONTEXTOF
EUROPEANINTEGRATIONPROCESSDEEPENING
byNataliaAlbu
Source:
StrategicImpact(ImpactStrategic),issue:2/2012,pages:7078,onwww.ceeol.com.
STRATEGIC IMPACT
70
STRATEGIC IMPACT
is the state, which by achievement of social and
cultural community aspirations ensures its power
legitimacy.1
A. Schlesinger jr. considers that the state
that does not give proper attention to its national
interest as the driving force of his policies can
not survive. In the academic frame, R. Keohane
insisted on the opportunity to develop a theory
of interest, but without, according to D. Sanders,
an explicit reference to the national interest,
expressing the view that the failure to formulate
it makes impossible any theory of international
relationships.2 In the same vein, V. Beniuc
emphasizes that the national interest is the
most complex project that can be achieved by a
country's development and the debate is a very
necessary and responsible act that has not only a
perfect conceptual crystallization but also social
mobilization for universal implementation of
this project. The nation, the state community that
does not clearly realize its interests, can not rely
on a sustainable existence and development.3
According to S. Burchill and A. Linklater, national
interest is in preserving political and cultural
identity of a nation and involves ensuring national
independence, territorial integrity, public order
and internal balance4 and in the opinion of Iu.
Pintea, national interests are based on the values
and national heritage, moral and intellectual
potential of the society, being made / provided by
future work in the economic, political and military,
social, demographic, information, ecological elds
etc.5.
Actually, the concept of national interest
may be charged at its fair value only when it is
approached as a whole, taking into account its
entire complexity: the need for conscious selfpreservation in the nation in its security;6 the vital
needs of the state and society focused to ensure the
sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity,
the human rights and freedoms7, the advantage of
society and the state in economic development
and reforms, an instrument of foreign policy to
national security8. At the same time we note that
the concept of national interest can be found
and is often found in the denition of national
security. Theoretically, the link is explained by
logical necessity of a complex and complementary
approach of these two terms. From a practical
perspective, the link between national security and
national interest nds its explanation in the new
71
STRATEGIC IMPACT
motions, the rise and decline.10 But whatever the
conditions, favorable or unfavorable, the interest in question needs to be examined and debated
through two prisms internal and external. Internal and external policies complement one another,
ultimately ensuring the achievement of common
tasks maintaining and strengthening the existing
relations in the country by simultaneous achievement of the national interest. European integration is one of the most fundamental problems of
internal politics in the Republic of Moldova, but
its complexity requires a massive foreign presence
and thus they became a strategic priority of foreign
policy, the issue that deserves attention.
2. National interests
of the Republic of Moldova
2.1. Dilemmas of dening national interests
of the Republic of Moldova
The proclamation of the Independence of the
Moldovan state involved an express formulation
of the national interests, dening the strategic
development priorities and asking the political
and social mobilization efforts to achieve them.
However, the Republic of Moldova currently
only forms its national interests, the elite being in
the initial process and unfortunately quite lagged
in determining and realizing it11 or national
interest building in Moldova is overowing,
knowing the successes, failures and even slips
back based on more declarative than real content
and should develop general national ideas of its
achievement, the idea that would unite everyone
around it12.
Currently, ofcial documents, such as Foreign
Policy Concept of the Republic of Moldova of
February 8, 1995 and the National Security Concept
of the Republic of Moldova May 22, 2008, do not
expressly and unequivocally dene the national
interest, but only contain references, without saying
the words major national interest, Moldova's
interests, etc.. National Security Concept of the
Republic of Moldova addressing the connection
between national interests and national security,
implying that the defense and their achievement
will ensure the integration and participation
in international cooperation processes, while
reducing the risk of involvement in conicts.13
Thus, in the second document is highlighted the
idea that Moldova's national interests are mainly
72
STRATEGIC IMPACT
with the EU which had exceeded even the early
stage of creating political and legal framework. 14
However, once initiated, the political dialogue did
not get promotion and sequence, the main causes
being:
1. The Republic of Moldova did not manage
to position itself to be included in the strategic
priorities of the European Union because of the
lack of effective and consistent political forces
that would have been identied with European
integration and would have promoted that process
of gradual approach and accession through
concrete activities of awareness of the West,
democratic reforming and strengthening of state
power institutions, building a functioning market
economy, etc..
2. The uncertainty of the political path promoted
by the Republic of Moldova both home and abroad,
reected by the quality of reforms and strategic
priorities of political alternation external -pro-CIS/
pro European, turns that inspire condence.
3. Even if the European Union announced a
differentiated approach to the CIS states, taking
as basis the geographical location and capabilities
of each of them, however the European Union
increases interest especially to countries that have
ofcially announced intention to join NATO.15
Further, the Partnership and Cooperation
Agreement signed on November 28, 1994,
institutionalized the relationships between the
parties raising their level of partnership and basing
them on democratic values and an advanced legal
framework, made the Republic of Moldova a direct
European Union partner and provided the legal
framework necessary for hiring a genuine dialogue
on multiple levels, including political dimension
printing processes to identify new means of
cooperation and permanent dialogue. It should be
noted however, that despite its importance, PCA
does not contain a clear political purpose in the
sense of gradual integration; Moldova is a conned
space to which the EU is not prepared to address
an integrationist strategy, the membership to the
ex-Soviet geopolitical area being thus conrmed.
In fact, the Republic of Moldova has tried
several times to distance itself from the former
Soviet Union, hoping for another treatment,
preferential, the European Union, the most
successful attempts were when it was accepted
in the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe in
2001 and in the Cooperation Process in South-East
73
STRATEGIC IMPACT
being of both internal character (unstable
democratic institutions, failure of communication
between branches of state power, poor management
of human resources, lack of a functioning market
economy, hostile environment for foreign investors,
unfair competition, low quality of life, serious
shortcomings in Chapters adjustment of the legal
and media freedom, protection of human rights, the
absence of a clear-cut pro-European orientation,
fully agreed and supported by concrete action, at
least until 2005, although we can not overlook the
institutionalization of some structures other than
the three provided by APC, such as the National
Commission for European Integration, The
Committee for European Integration of Moldova,
etc.), but also of foreign origin, conceptual (the
Republic of Moldova did not get into the initial
calculations of the Pact authors), geopolitical
(CIS membership, placing the sphere of inuence
and interests of the Russian Federation) and
institutional (the subdivision of the General
Directorate 1A of the European Commission
that manages the relations with the Republic of
Moldova, is responsible at the same time for
relations with Russia, Ukraine and Belarus17).
Major recorded failure is that by participating in
this project Moldova failed to sign an Association
Agreement with the European Union18.
European integration perspectives were diminished to some extent by the launch of the European Neighbourhood Policy, accomplished through
bilateral action plans that establish short-term reform agenda and the environment: neighbor countries, being subjected to Europeanization, have
the opportunity to approach European Union, but
without access to its fundamental institutions and
get the right to be a Member State in the near future. Signed on February 22, 2005, the Action Plan
EU-Moldova is a political document designed to
supplement the PCA, which remained valid basis for cooperation, outlines 80 objectives and
294 actions / steps to follow in seven key areas,19
most of them the object of Moldovan authorities
responsibility. At the same time, the plan contributes to more operational, visible and participatory
engagement of the European Union in Moldova:
the appointment of Special Representative for
Moldova (March 2005), opening the European
Commission Delegation in Moldova (October
2005), establishing the Border Assistance Mission
to Moldova and Ukraine (November 2005), open-
74
STRATEGIC IMPACT
proved to be declarative and therefore it can be
just a rst step of cooperation; progress is rather
slow because of the lack of clear guidelines22, in
terms that the progress in the implementation of
agreements was uneven and on different areas of
the reform process23. At the same time, it should
be stressed that European integration cannot be
achieved by the European Neighbourhood Policy,
which is proved to be a tool to promote regional
integration outside the EU borders24, and therefore
a new contractual relationship is required by
signing an association agreement. The process of
negotiations on an Association Agreement started
in Chisinau in early 2010. This supposes political
association and economic integration of Moldova
into the European Union. Currently, the republic of
Moldova and the EU agreed on the bulk of articles
of the Association Agreement, but no one knows
when this process will be completed. Moldova
could become an associate member of the Union,
but it must obtain in advance a liberalized visa
regime and free trade treaty.
Moldova's European integration is a two-dimensional process, involving efforts and willingness of both partners. Certainly, by 2014, we can
only talk about Moldova approach to the European Union, the causes being of nancial nature
(the current EU budget set for 2007-2013 period,
provides no source for accession / absorption of
the Republic of Moldova), conceptual-geopolitics
(circumscribing the Republic of Moldova through
the Eastern Partnership in the former Soviet area
and the hesitations to make a difference between
the CIS states), and also the institutional and legal.
As the previous enlargements of the EU show, EU
accession is a long and complicated adjustment of
all internal areas of the candidate states' principles,
values and EU standards. But the entry into force
of the Treaty of Lisbon on 1 December 2009 will
affect Brussels foreign policy, especially the Eastern dimension, since the Treaty of Lisbon creates
substantial changes in the EU decision25, the qualied majority voting becoming the general rule in
the Council26.
Measures to be implemented by the Republic
of Moldova are much more varied and extensive,
including the opportunity to elaborate two urgent
documents of a major importance: National
Strategy for European Integration and Foreign
Policy Concept of the Republic of Moldova.
The Strategy is to be concluded based on the
75
STRATEGIC IMPACT
integration by approaching all European countries,
but the strategic partner in achieving this process
is Russia28. This way of perceiving the Moldovan
foreign policy is determined by the fact that the
Republic of Moldova was not able to formulate
clear objectives, preferring the so-called multivector policy to balance between East and West,
it failed to formulate a clear vision of anchoring
the national interest in a system of benchmarks and
values that would have allowed them to quickly
and efciently overcome the difcult transition
by creating benecial external conditions for reforming successfully the country29. Referring to
the quality of Moldovan diplomacy, I. Munteanu
invokes a critical opinion, not without reason, its
failure and visible decit of ideas and action, able
to redene, using modern terms, the country's national interest30.
In the same context of diplomatic efforts,
but the political will and goodwill being also
indispensable, include the opportunity of
normalization of bilateral relations with Romania
not only because it is a neighbour country, but
also with the aim of capitalizing provision from
the Concept of foreign policy of the Republic of
Moldova: cooperation with Romania will ensure
integration of the Republic of Moldova into the
European community.31
Finally, we pay attention to the Program of activity
European Integration: Freedom, Democracy,
and Welfare, approved by the governing Liberal
Democratic Party for 2009 2013, which has a
special signicance in the evolution of the national
interest of the Republic. In the Government report
regarding the implementation of this program after
a year of government a series of achievements of
internal and external nature is ascertained32, which
has contributed to strengthening the country's
national interest in terms of increased credibility
for the Republic of Moldova in the EU countries.
Thus, taking into consideration the EU enlargement,
no signicant differences between the structural
elements of the national interest are noticed, as it
was until recently. However, the national interest
of our country, regarded as a factor itself, does not
have enough consensual substance. The regarded
interest may not be naturally associated with the
consensus because of strained relations between
government and opposition. There are also divisive
elements within the ruling elite, between the leaders
of the Alliance for the European Integration.
76
Conclusions
Taking into account all previous arguments, the
option of the bulk of Moldovan citizens of joining
the EU (according to surveys conducted by IPP
Moldova), the timeliness of the subject regarding
European integration in political circles in Chiinu
and the modest actions taken to achieve this goal,
make us believe that the Republic of Moldova,
after a period of uncertainty, will opt for European
integration as a primary national interest. Dening
its national interests is for the Republic of Moldova
an opportunity to demonstrate that committed to
follow the democratic values, it is open to dialogue
and to bilateral and multilateral cooperation, it
tends to become a security generator and a reliable
partner, giving them more credibility. Once some
clear priorities for the strategic development of the
Republic of Moldova are set, their achievement,
taking into consideration the quality of small
country of the Republic of Moldova, will be
possible only because of their diplomatic actions
framed in a very active and coherent foreign
policy.
SELECTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1.
BENIUC, Valentin, Instrumente de
realizare a interesului i securitii naionale n
contextul integrrii europene (cazul Republicii
Moldova), Consolidarea administraiei publice n
contextul edicrii statului de drept n Republica
Moldova, Materialele conferinei tiinice
internaionale, Academia de Administrare Public,
Chiinu, 2007.
2. BURIAN, Alexandru, Geopolitica lumii
contemporane, Tipograa Central, Chiinu,
2003.
3. CASIADI, Oleg, Interesul naional al
Republicii Moldova: ntre conjunctura i retorica
proeuropean, n Academia de Administrare
Public 15 ani de modernizare a serviciului
public din Republica Moldova, Vol. 2, Materialele
conferinei internaionale tiinico-practice,
Academia de Administare Public, Chiinu,
2008.
4. Concepia politicii externe a Republicii
Moldova, in CERNENCU, Mihai; GALBEN,
Andrei; RUSNAC, Gheorghe; SOLOMON,
Constantin, Istoria politic a Republicii Moldova,
Centrul editorial-poligrac, Universitatea de Stat
STRATEGIC IMPACT
din Moldova, Chiinu, 2001.
5. Concepia securitii naionale a Republicii
Moldova, Monitorul Ocial al Republicii Moldova,
nr. 97-98, 3 iunie 2008.
6. Declaraia Consiliului European privind
Parteneriatul
Estic,
http://www.consilium.
europa.eu / uedosc/csm/data/docs/pressdata/RO/
ec/106829. Pdf.
7. Discursul dlui. Voronin la Conferina
European de la Atena, n Moldova Suveran, 18
aprilie 2003.
8. DOUTRIAUX, Yves; LEQUESNE,
Christian, Les institutions de lUnion europeenne,
La documentation Francaise, Paris, 1998.
9. JUC, Victor, Opiunea de integrare
european a Republicii Moldova prin prisma
interesului naional, n Revista naional de drept,
http://revistadrept.com/?p=66.
10. MORARU, Victor; ROCA, Alexandru;
VARZARI, Pantelimon; JUC, Victor, Puterea
politic i coeziunea social n Republica Moldova
din perspectiva integrrii europene, Institutul
de Integrare European i tiine Politice (IESP)
al Academiei de tiine din Moldova, Chiinu,
2010, p. 39.
11. PNTEA, Iurie, Identicarea pericolelor
existente i probabile pentru interesele naionale
de baz ale Moldovei, n Securitatea i aprarea
naional a Republicii Moldova, Institutul de
Politici Publice, Chiinu, 2002., pp. 41-83.
12. Realizarea Planului de Aciuni UEMoldova (februarie 2005 ianuarie 2008),
Tipograa Central, Chiinu, 2008.
13. SACA, Victor, Interesul naional al
republicii Moldova n contextul extinderii Uniunii
Europene, n Revista de Filosoe, Sociologie i
tiine Politice, 3 (154), Chiinu, 2011.
14. SACA Victor; SACA Silvia, Interesul
naional n contextul politicii naional-etnice.
Cazul Republicii Moldova, n Academia de
Administrare Public 15 ani de modernizare a
serviciului public din Republica Moldova, Vol. 2,
Materialele conferinei internaionale tiinicopractice, Academia de Administrare Public,
Chiinu, 2008, pp. 175-178.
15. SEREBRIAN, Oleg, Politic i
geopolitic, Editura Cartier, Chiinu, 2004.
16. THATHAM, Allan; OSMOCHESCU,
Eugen, Dreptul Uniunii Europene, Editura ARC,
Chiinu, 2003.
17. p,
.
n culegerea Politica extern a Republicii Moldova
n contextul extinderii NATO spre Est, Materialele
conferinei tiinice internaionale, Universitatea
de Stat Moldova, Chiinu, 2004.
NOTES:
1 Victor JUC, Opiunea de integrare european a
Republicii Moldova prin prisma interesului naional,
in Revista naional de drept, http://revistadrept.com/
?p=66, accessed on 21.04.2012.
2 Robert O. KEOHANE, Institutional Theory and
the realist challenge after the Cold War, in culegerea
Baldwin, D. A. (ed.). Neo-realism and Neo-liberalism:
The Contemporary Debate. New-York, Columbia
University Press, 1993, p. 294.
3 Valentin BENIUC, Instrumente de realizare a
interesului i securitii naionale n contextul integrrii
europene (cazul Republicii Moldova), in Consolidarea
administraiei publice n contextul edicrii statului de
drept n Republica Moldova. Materialele conferinei
tiinice internaionale, Academia de Administrare
Public, Chiinu, 2007, p. 117.
4 Scott BURCHILL; Andrew LINKLATER,
Theories of international relations, Columbia University
Press, New-York, 1996, p. 75.
5 Iurie PNTEA, Identicarea pericolelor existente
i probabile pentru interesele naionale de baz ale
Republicii Moldova, n studiul Evaluarea strategic a
securitii i aprrii naionale a Republicii Moldova,
Institutul de Politici Publice, Chiinu, 2001, p. 24.
6 .
. : ,
1993, p. 51.
7 Iurie PNTEA, Interesele naionale ale Republicii
Moldova. Riscuri i pericole, http// www.ipp.md/,
accessed on 01.03.2012.
8 Dicionar de politic, Univers Enciclopedic,
Bucureti, 2001, p. 228.
9 Iurie PNTEA, op. cit., p. 41.
10 Victor SACA, Interesul naional al republicii
Moldova n contextul extinderii Uniunii Europene n
Revista de Filosoe, Sociologie i tiine Politice, 3
(154), Chiinu, 2011, p. 37.
11 Valentin BENIUC, op. cit., p. 116.
12 Victor SACA, Silvia SACA, Interesul naional
n contextul politicii naional-etnice. Cazul Republicii
Moldova, in Academia de Administrare Public 15
ani de modernizare a serviciului public din Republica
Moldova, Vol. 2, Materialele conferinei internaionale
tiinico-practice, Academia de Administrare Public,
Chiinu, 2008, pp. 175-178.
13 Concepia securitii naionale a Republicii
Moldova. n: Monitorul Ocial al Republicii Moldova,
77
STRATEGIC IMPACT
nr. 97-98, 3 iunie 2008, p. 7-8.
14 Buletin Informativ, 1994, nr. 1, p. 46.
15 Victor JUC, op. cit., in Revista naional de drept,
http://revistadrept.com/?p=66, accessed on 21.04.2012.
16 Discursul Dlui Voronin la Conferina European
de la Atena, in Moldova Suveran, 18 aprilie 2003.
17 Yves DOUTRIAUX, Christian LEQUESNE, Les
institutions de lUnion europeenne, La documentation
Francaise, Paris, 1998, p. 56.
18 Victor MORARU, Alexandru ROCA,
Pantelimon VARZARI, Victor JUC, Puterea politic i
coeziunea social n Republica Moldova din perspective
integrrii europene, Institutul de Integrare European
i tiine Politice al Academiei de tiine a Moldovei,
Chiinu, 2010, p. 64.
19 Realizarea Planului de Aciuni UE-Moldova
(februarie 2005 ianuarie 2008), Tipogr. Central,
Chiinu, 2008, p. 23.
20 Declaraia Consiliului European privind
Parteneriatul Estic, http://www.consilium.europa.eu/
uedosc/csm/data/docs/pressdata/RO/ec/106829. Pdf,
accessed on 22.04.2012.
21 Oleg SEREBRIAN, Politica i geopolitic, Ed.
Cartier, Chiinu, 2004, p. 9.
22 Allan THATHAM, Eugen OSMOCHESCU,
Dreptul Uniunii Europene, Editura ARC, Chiinu,
2003, p. 494.
23 Realizarea Planului de Aciuni UE-Moldova
(februarie 2005-ianuarie 2008), Tipograa Central,
Chiinu, 2008, p. 175.
24 Integrarea European, in Guvernare i
Democraie, 2008, nr. 1, Ediia 1, p. 31.
25 The current voting procedure, according to the
Treaty of Nice, by which decisions are taken by majority
vote, will be used until 2014, after which a transitional
period will follow until 2017, during which Member
States will be able to ask for a unanimous decision
formula.
26 Decisions taken by the post-Lisbon Europe will
78