Alexei Lungu: Mr Speaker, I am glad to see you in 2019 healthy and with a good mood. How were the holidays in the Candu family?

Andrian Candu: It has been very fast, because the professional and electoral activities are always clogged with thoughts and worries, but of course there were pleasant moments in the Christmas family and afterwards the New Year. Both in the family in a small circle, the wife with the children, but also a little with other relatives or friends. This year I would even say that although the Christmas and New Year holidays are beautiful and magical holidays, but I do not know how they passed very quickly and less significantly.

Alexei Lungu: How would you characterize the year 2018 in terms of the achievements of the legislature, the legislative failures, but also the whole period that was not easy?

Andrian Candu: It was not quite easy! I remember how we started in 2015 and why the challenges were marked. In 2015, if you remember, we had three governments, prime ministers, two interim prime ministers. I have the impression that in this term, in general, I had to deal with five prime ministers, two state presidents, two governors, two general prosecutors, that is, a rich period.

There have been many achievements, many beginnings. There have been many important legislative decisions that I consider to be successful. The change of the electoral system on the mixed system, although the party, we, the representatives of the Democratic Party, have always been supporters of the idea of changing the system completely only on the uninominal constituencies, but I said that in this electoral cycle, perhaps we have to have a mixed, The Republic to re-emerge again with everything that constituencies mean.

I think that was a good idea and we will see the result in the next parliamentary elections in February this year. After that, very important system changes in everything related to financial-banking: the new leadership of the National Bank, let's not forget about new laws, including the Basel III system. Many that have led not only to the restoration of the banking system, but even to the development, to profitability, to the economic growth generated by the banking system. We also have two big players who have entered the market, Banca Transilvania and have strengthened their positions the European Bank for Reconstruction and Debugging.

We have American capital in the banks. We have an improvement on everything related to all the financial-banking parameters. Of course there are also regrets about some things that have not succeeded or started, but not finished. Here I am referring to changes in the Constitution related to European integration, to several elements related to the reform of justice, I refer to some social projects that we have not accomplished, for example related to the protection of people with disabilities. People with disabilities are many in the Republic of Moldova and do not enjoy the protection of the state.

There is much that we could do more if there was time. If there were not the crises that we were hit with and the economic, political, and social crises. If I were to pull the line and look back, my four-year mandate and mine personally, I think that considerable efforts have been made, not to mention foreign relations.

Alexei Lungu: Let's talk about 2019. There are some points I want to address. I'm going to start with external relations. In 2018, we saw an active offensive on the transatlantic front, we are talking about relations with Washington. I saw the Washington ambassador very actively involved in promoting the Republic of Moldova on the North American continent. I saw you with many visits to the US, the DPM leader, Vlad Plahotniuc and the prime minister. In 2019, this destination remains a priority?

Andrian Candu: It remains. The US is a strategic partner for us. We have a working platform and cooperation that is called strategic dialogue. Strategic dialogue encompasses dimensions such as education and human capital, justice, all that is infrastructure and defense, and the business environment. Good results were achieved in 2018, all that means economics and economic relations with the US.

The US is one of the most trusted partners, especially in terms of economic power and global power, it is important to have good relationships. Not just good relations at the level of letters or meetings, but a pragmatic, formal relationship that has an impact on the life of the ordinary citizen. US investments, US trade, infrastructure and defense assistance and assistance all count for us, especially as the US is a lawyer of all democratic values in all the world's countries, including the Republic of Moldova.

It is an important partner and we need to continue the good relationship and even deepen it, to grow it in intensity. Unlike the partners in the region, I refer to Romania. Romania is the important partner for us in strategic relations. And for good and evil it was with us and the high level of relationship with Romania must be maintained.

Alexei Lungu: How do you see the evolutions in Chisinau-Brussels or Chisinau-Strasbourg? I speak to the EU institutions. In 2018, we saw a rather politicized relationship, as the EPP made an electoral game in Parliament, rather than focusing on the relationship based on figures and results.

Andrian Candu: First of all, it is worth mentioning that for us the number one European integration remains the priority. Everything related to our EU integration path, I mean the implementation of the Association Agreement, the Free Trade Agreement, the reforms that are agreed and formalized in the Association Agreement, they have to be over. Regretfully, in 2018, the relationship was politicized. The political relationship, political interest and political emotions dominated the pragmatic relationship and the concrete results.

I hope that starting this year, especially after the parliamentary elections when we will have the Government already installed, we will have a sincere and pragmatic discussion with our partners in Brussels and Strasbourg to return to a pragmatic relationship with fewer political elements and with all that means benefits for Moldovan citizens at the level of institutional reforms, the rule of law, infrastructure, all that means the development of the Republic of Moldova and the improvement of the citizen's life, because that is the purpose. Halal then of any goal and goals, if the ultimate goal does not bring benefit to the country or the citizen. But there is less political relationship and more pragmatic and concrete relationship.

Alexei Lungu: Mr. President, but what position do you see after February 24, 2019? Deputy, Minister, Prime Minister, can you manage an important institution other than the Legislature? 

Andrian Candu: In the last 15 years of activity, including political activity and previous professional activity, I was lucky and lucky to work in a good, professional team and every day to be different, to be different, to be different. I did not have a day that resembled the precedent. Always something new. The areas of responsibility were different. In the morning, I could negotiate with the IMF at lunch to discuss security reforms after mass civil society reforms and in the evening talk about reforms in the economy, capital amnesty or capital liberalization. Very diversified, in which I learned, but I also managed to contribute with my professional knowledge and experience. The most important thing is that what I will do to bring my professional satisfaction, but also bring added value to society, country, if it is possible for the team. Then it does not matter the function, the title, the name of the institution. It makes sense to help the team and the country.

Alexei Lungu: Do you expect a fair or dirty electoral campaign? I'll have an argument. In recent years, we have seen the street opposition manipulating certain realities or sending letters to the IMF and other international partner institutions or, more precisely, denigrating the Republic of Moldova.

I have not seen politicians from other states at international institutions talking badly to my own country. Instead, we saw Moldovan politicians who, on every occasion, talk about unorthodox tools, namely foreign funding and the involvement of foreign services in other countries. That's why I was wondering if you expect to be a good campaign.

Andrian Candu: First of all, I would like to make a statement that not all opposition or not all of the opposition to power have the respective behavior blaming the left and right country or outside the country is in contradiction with the power. I witnessed when opposition deputies from abroad told us that we are at home, but here we present the interests of the country. I was pleasantly surprised and even encouraged this attitude.

With regret. They are also representatives of the opposition who only blame the country, society, politics and have a rather inappropriate behavior when they are in a political confrontation. Parliamentary elections are a democratic process. It's not life and dying. Society is going to get used to it's a matter every four years. Elections come and go, but there remains cheek, ethics, behavior, and there must always be room for good. There must be the possibility of getting your hand and putting you at the table of discussion for the formation of future governments or collaboration.

The campaign has already started with the left for some. It is already marked by various prostitutes, including dirty, unethical, and I expect as we approach 24 February, it will not be easy and based on principles of ethics and culture.