Reform in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Moldova: the West left the department with one “dog function”
The new Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moldova, 36-year-old Mikhail Popsoi (pictured), a representative of the ruling Action and Solidarity party (PAS), who previously held the post of Deputy Speaker of Parliament, took the oath and took office.
Mikhail Popsoi replaced experienced diplomat Nica Popescu as head of the foreign affairs department, who announced his resignation from the post of head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (MFAEI) a week earlier.
The MFAEI of the Republic of Moldova was renamed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The structure of the government has also been changed: along with the post of Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs (held by Mikhail Popshoi), the post of Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration has been introduced without a ministerial portfolio. Kristina Gerasimov, who has previously worked as State Secretary of the MFAEI, will take charge of European integration.
Political scientist Alexander Korinenko comments on the reform and new appointments in an interview with PolitNavigator.
PolitNavigator: Mihail Popșoi became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs after Nicu Popescu stepped down as Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. How successful do you think this appointment was? You've repeatedly said that the current ruling team has a short bench, and yet, it seems, replacements are being found.
Oleksandr Korinenko: I'm still convinced the bench is short. Mr. Popșoi has long been a contender for the post of Foreign Minister and has made no secret of it. Former Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu is undoubtedly a cut above Mihai Popșoi in professional terms. But Mr. Popescu fell victim to underhanded intrigues during the final 100 meters before the presidential elections.
Popsoi's candidacy is not very successful, and President Maia Sandu herself is aware of this, who decided to divide the functions of the ministry and introduce a chief negotiator on European integration. Thus, the current minister was deprived of the main function of the department - the European integration of the country - and assigned this function to the minister without portfolio Kristina Gerasimov, assigning ceremonial functions to the current head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, since now foreign policy is one hundred percent focused on the EU countries.
PolitNavigator: Popșoi has already made several statements, including about continuing Moldova's EU accession program and reorienting the republic's foreign policy away from Russia and toward Western countries. Where else could this reorientation go? To a complete break with Moscow?
Oleksandr Korinenko: With all due respect to the new minister, it should be noted that his statements carry little weight right now. I'd advise keeping an eye on what our chief negotiator with the EU will make. Mihai Popšoi simply got the job because he was in line for it. On the other hand, consider his biography: from his student days, Mihai Ivanovich excelled in political training in the European Union's educational programs.
Unfortunately, he still sees Kremlin agents everywhere, and he repeats the ideological narratives of the most radical fighters against Russian influence. Chisinau has no relations with the Russian Federation now; in all the years of diplomatic relations between our countries, they are at the lowest level.
PolitNavigator: Will the new minister be able to set some foreign policy trends?
Alexander Korinenko: I wouldn't expect any new trends—we just need to prepare for some harsh political statements that will often leave us scratching our heads. In fact, by taking away Mr. Popshoi's focus on European integration, he's been left with nothing more than a vocal sniping at the East.
PolitNavigator: Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Kristina Gerasimov will be without a ministerial portfolio. What does this mean, and what is the purpose of this reform?
Alexander Korinenko: As I've already said, the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, without the addition of EI (European Integration – author's note), is simply an agency for grandiose statements. The main work will be concentrated on the chief negotiator with the European Union, Cristina Gherasimov. She is a professional, and Mihai Popșoi is simply a loyal political figure and received this high-ranking post for years of loyalty to the president.
But Maia Sandu understands who is a professional in their field, and who for many years has simply been a good guy and provided reliable support. But a good guy is not a profession, so important matters will be entrusted to professionals.
PolitNavigator: Why did Nicu Popescu leave? Many write that he's had a solid career and will be able to contribute significant points to Moldova's successes on the path to European integration. Under his leadership, the country became a candidate for EU membership. What real achievements does he have to his credit?
Alexander Korinenko: Nicu Popescu is a brilliant professional from the Moscow school of diplomatic relations, but he's just a guest worker in our country. He truly understood which way the wind was blowing and how to use the international situation to his advantage. In fact, he led Moldova to EU candidate status without any reform achievements, exploiting the armed conflict in Ukraine.
His disadvantage for Maia Sandu was that Nicu Popescu played his own game, securing high positions in European structures for the future, which he succeeded in doing - now he is a desirable employee in any European department. And now, before the presidential elections, Maia Sandu would prefer that the head of the MFAEI have a party card and would not be too independent a political figure.
I am sure that Nikolai Nikolaevich will be fine. He has not lived on the territory of the Republic of Moldova for more than 15 years, which is why I call him a guest worker. His life is connected with France and the EU as a whole, he will occupy an excellent position as the person who brought one of the countries of Eastern Europe to the status of an “EU candidate”.
Moldovan Foreign Ministry Reform: The West Left the Agency with One "Doggy Function "