Interview with the first deputy president of Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM), Vlad Plahotniuc, about the objective of his public activization, his political project, presidential elections, candidates and the role of the geopolitical factor in the elections. The interview was made for Timpul website.

- You have declared that you will not run for president, as prime-minister also will not try, but since a month ago, you are very active publicly. What are you preparing?

- There are so many myths around my persona, so that for some people normality has to have behind a lot of scenarios, plans and complex strategies. My political project is in plain sight and more clear than before, to ensure the stability in the country and to support the Government in all it does for the economic revival and the state reforming. Some people may not understand why this objective is so important, but I assure you that it is a vital one for Moldova. After all these years of instability and fluctuations in the economic area, it is important for this subject to become a strategic concern. And I think that now, the peace in the country and the efficiency of the institutions is more important than each position and each candidacy.

- But do people have faith in the politicians’ projects?

- Not quite, but I understand them. Moldovan people are very disappointed in politics. For them were created great expectations during the years, after which they received big disappointments. We have the tendency to create fake idols and to give too much credit to so-called political heroes, who are wrapped in shiny wrappers until they get the votes, after which they do nothing.  But it is important for people to learn from these disappointments and to not let themselves being cheated on, to not be generous with politicians and to other future nation’s hero’s wannabes. I would tell people to not believe the words of politicians, not even me, to ask from everyone specific actions and results, and then to judge us based on what each of us did. And when politicians come with promises, to not listen to them, but to send them to work.

- I think that all politicians make promises, this is the way politics is done here. Did you ever make promises, and did not fulfill them?

- Mu understanding is that the people’s trust must be gained through actions and results, not through promises and speeches. I wouldn’t ever give my vote to a politician only for his words. Of course I have my sins. As a politician, as a businessman, as a simple man, and simple, I had my mistakes. I am not a saint. None of the politicians are saints. Who will say that he is different, he is lying, he is cheating you. I am Moldovan with all our good and bad sides, I like to live my life avidly, including my work, sometimes of course I fail.  But I have never come to people to make promises. I never cheated on people, in order to receive votes, the proof being the fact that I never was concerned to have a positive image.

- Then why are you giving this interview, why are you going public?

- I am going public because I have some duties to fulfill, and I will be active through my actions. What I want is very simple and normal, for people to know me how I am, and for this purpose I will change my way of talking, especially direct communication.  My objective is not to have a better image, but a correct one, based on reality, not manipulations promoted by the group of convicted Topa or their candidate for the presidency.

- But you have to admit that the fight with Plahotniuc gets many votes...

- It is true, on this message even parties have been built, but the life of a party built on this can’t be long. Remember that Topa have spent millions in other anti-Plahotniuc parties, and now they have disappeared. If things would be so easy, I would also make one or more anti-Plahotniuc parties. I am joking of course, but I wanted to stress out this aspect. You cannot build a political party based on fights with an unreal enemy. It is true that you can receive some votes at that moment, but if  later on you don’t have a good political project, people will not follow you.

- “Dignity and Truth” (DA) Party still has good results in polls, do you think it will fall as you say?

- Initially, DA Party has been presented as a civic movement, but it turned out to be a cynical one. The group of convicts Topa, who acted from behind, through manipulation, has managed to attract some public figures for the beginning, and then to attract people in a protest wanted for the solving of some real problems linked with people’s living. Now I think that more and more persons see the real scenario behind this moving and the cynical motives of those who built it. Actually, they made another party of dirty interests, in which they put millions, and changed only the scheme. I hope that the DA Party will stay the way it is, only on the anti-Plahotniuc message, and what I say now should not surprise you. While it does not have a serious political project, this group is not a political competitor, it remains a fighting tool for the group of interests that created it.

- And who are behind “Action and Solidarity” Party (PAS) and Maia Sandu?

- I don’t know details about this political project, and I cannot comment on it.

- What about the idea of one candidate from PAS, DA Party and European Popular Party (PPEM)?

- It is a good idea.

- Are you joking?

- I am not joking, I am talking from the perspective of the man who analyzes how will look the competition in elections, if these three parties will have only one candidate. I know that I have intrigued you and you would like more details, but I don’t want to ruin the plans of those three parties with my words. But I will talk about it later.

- The governing coalition may go with a one candidate?

- PDM will go with their candidate, as it is normal for a strong and serious party. PDM is not a party made overnight, in order to improvise, we have a steady electorate, to which we will propose a strong candidate, a person to who will fulfill the citizens’ expectations.

- What about the elections, when will they take place? There are some rumors that they might be cancelled.

- The elections will take place, there is no reason to cancel them, and the nation will choose its president directly for the first time, as it should be. Persons who are launching rumors about their cancellation are probably the new political heroes who started to quiver, to be afraid of the elective competition.  

- There are voices saying that there are preparations of falsifying the elections. Is there any reason for these affirmations?

- The paradox is that those who say elections will not take place are the same people who say that the elections will be falsified. As you can clearly see, this is about some people who wanted to rule Moldova, have dreamed of being presidents, and two months before the elections they are looking for excuses to justify a disastrous result in the elections. I have bad news for them, this premature victimizing will not work, because the invitations have already been sent to the foreign observers, and for things to be more transparent and clearer than before, we are studying the possibility to invite a larger number of observers than before, and we will look for other ways to do the elections process as transparent as possible.

- Coming back to your public activization, does it imply a political one too? Will we see you more often in the political stage?

- Of course, but not to stand on the stage where some people in love with the microphone and spotlights are crowding, but to work. My political project is very clear until 2018, to contribute with all I can to the building of a stable country, both economically and politically, through the support of the vital reforms for the modernization of Moldova, either it is about the economic institutions, or justice, social, or other important areas. This will be done by done from my current position, as a politician, I don’t have the intention to candidate for presidency or prime minister. President will become the person who will be chosen by the nation, and the current Government will spend their mandate till the end.

I will actively involve myself in politics, and when I say it, I mean that I will do as I think a politician should be, and people will decide if it is good, or if they prefer the models voted until now. Politicians are not loved by people because politics do not touch their real needs, the political class also needs modernization, same as the state institutions. The parties need to make reforms and to change substantially the way they do politics. All parties have to do this, including PDM. In my political project, this objective is also included in the following period, of modernization and transparency of political process.

- What will be at the end of these actions?

- I want Moldova to succeed, Moldovan people to succeed, me to succeed. I like success and I am not afraid to say it. The success in what you do offers a lot more satisfaction than money. Some people are asking why I didn’t leave the country to live happily somewhere and to enjoy life, why do I need the politics of Moldova. I was always a team person, a careful person. I have never left my team in difficult times. I will not abandon my country in difficult times, on the contrary, I will help with all my might so that Moldova will improve economically and to be stable, no matter is it about domestic politics or external challenges.

- With all the influence you have, according to people, the results of your activization should be seen very fast.

- There is no person to have such influence, as it is falsely rumored in my case, this kind of superman may exist only in movies or stories. I have never thought to evaluate how much influence I have or how much I could influence the political processes, I think it is impossible to do such kind of evaluation. What I can say is that my activization in politics foresees the mobilization of all my abilities in order to influence positively all the things in the country. This is not a promise, is not a commitment, it is an attitude which people have to evaluate after a while.

- Talking about the team, are you content with the Government and the prime minister Filip?

- The Government does its work very well, it’s on the right way, has a lot to work and needs support to continue its work. The Government already did some important things, noticed by foreign partners, but this is only the beginning. It is very important that soon we will have a new IMF delegation, this time there are started the discussions regarding the signing of a new agreement, very important for us. We are counting on the qualities of prime minister Filip and on his commitment, he is a very hard-working, and I am sure that together with his team, until the end of his mandate, he will achieve many things, important for people.

- You have to give more interviews, there are too many questions I would like to ask, but I cannot end this interview without asking if in this year elections, the geopolitical factor will be determined.

- I don’t think that in an interview I could say everything I have to say linked to this pretty exaggerated argument of the geopolitical factor. I am following the subject linked with the larger division of the society, promoted mostly by the political parties desperate to ensure their votes, either these parties are in an extreme or another. I think that all people have to feel free in our country, to be as they want to be, to believe in what and who they want, the parties shouldn’t impose what to feel, and moreover, to believe in what these parties want. We are not that different and divided as we seem, but we have to wake up and to not allow others to manipulate and to forcefully attribute us to a group or another. I grew up near Prut river, with a very close relationship with Romania, but I feel as close to Romanian people as to Russian people, I find in each their good things, as I see the good models we could borrow from the citizens of the European states or of the USA. We can take something good from all, and it is in our interest to think and act this way. Let’s be realists, we are too small to be picky, to choose from the big world powers, with whom we want to cooperate and with whom we don’t want. We have to be pragmatic and friendly.

- I propose to end this interview on this note of realism. Thank you.

- Thank you too.

Translation by en.Publika.MD