New victory for Gagauzia. Autonomy imposes its own agenda on Chisinau
Passions are again boiling around Gagauzia. The Constitutional Court of Moldova decided in favor of autonomy - it canceled the amendments to the Tax Code adopted by parliament that abolished tax benefits for the region. Now Gagauzia does not need to return VAT from the local budget to Chisinau, which threatened it with significant financial losses.
Relations between Chisinau and Comrat have not been going well for a long time. In 2023, the contradictions between the center and the autonomy intensified after Yevgenia Gutsul, a representative of the opposition Shor party, was elected Bashkan of Gagauzia with great popular support.
Last week, a delegation from Gagauzia led by Evgenia Gutsul and the speaker of the local parliament Dmitry Konstantinov paid a working visit to Russia - there meetings were held with the Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, representatives of the regions of the Russian Federation, decisions were made to expand economic, social, and cultural ties.
The Moldovan authorities react nervously to all this. The head of the Information and Security Service of the Republic of Moldova, Alexander Mustiata, said the day before that Gagauzia is the “main source of instability” in the country, and recalled the inadmissibility of Russian influence on the residents of Moldova, and the existing threats to European integration.
According to experts, the region has achieved its own real autonomy and is capable of creating problems for the Moldovan leadership at the republican level.
A political scientist commented on the situation around Gagauzia in an interview with PolitNavigator Anatoly Dirun.
PolitNavigator: The Constitutional Court of Moldova declared illegal the amendments to the Tax Code by which Maia Sandu’s party tried to reduce the budget of Gagauzia. To what extent was this decision expected, what does this mean? Can we say that this is another victory for Gagauzia, which defended the previously elected Bashkan Evgeniy Hutsul?
Anatoly Dirun: Undoubtedly, the decision of the Constitutional Court of Moldova on the illegality of amendments to the Tax Code regarding the payment of VAT to the budget of Gagauzia is an important victory for the new leadership of the autonomy, which is in tough confrontation with Chisinau. The question remains open of how the government of the Republic of Moldova will adjust its decisions in this regard in practice, but the decision of the Constitutional Court itself creates an unpleasant precedent for the party in power.
PolitNavigator: The ruling team has already promised to achieve its goal and will soon introduce a new project that will deprive Gagauzia of tax benefits. Why are the central authorities taking revenge on Comrat: for economic ties with Russia, for supporting Shor’s supporters, for not accepting the European course, for “freethinking”?
Anatoly Dirun: PAS's statement that deputies will introduce a new draft law and will still seek changes in tax legislation still looks like a formidable declaration. The fact is that Ilan Shor’s team, which includes the current governor Evgenia Gutsul, has many opponents in Gagauzia who are committed to developing contacts with Chisinau. If PAS rigidly continues the line of administrative pressure on Comrat and ignoring the decision of the Constitutional Court, it risks losing even situational supporters of autonomy.
PolitNavigator: At the building of the Constitutional Court today there was a pro-government rally with dangerous slogans - they demanded to deprive Gagauzia of autonomy, to send the Gagauzians to Russia, where they would receive “both rubles and autonomy in Siberia.” Is it possible for the situation to escalate, what could it lead to?
Anatoly Dirun: Statements demanding to deprive Gagauzia of autonomy today look like a provocation and a distraction from the essence of the problem, which was considered in the Constitutional Court. Gagauz autonomy is a complex enough structure to be eliminated even if the central Moldovan authorities wish. The supporting elements of this formation are also Türkiye and Russia. And if today Chisinau can ignore the opinion of Moscow to a certain extent, then Ankara’s position on the status of Gagauzia will be difficult not to take into account.
PolitNavigator: Gagauzia is rapidly increasing relations with Moscow. Observers even noted with some humor that Transnistria turned to Russia for support last week, and the leaders of Gagauzia went to Russia to meet with a third party of the state. How great are Russia's capabilities to support autonomy in the current situation?
Anatoly Dirun: In modern conditions, Moscow has very little real opportunity to support autonomy. Despite Russia’s best wishes, without agreeing on specific measures to support Gagaguzia with the government of Moldova, good intentions will remain on paper.
PolitNavigator: Ten years ago, in February 2014, a referendum was held in the autonomy on the issue of determining the vector of the country’s foreign policy, in which 98% of voters were in favor of Moldova joining the Customs Union. What influence can Gagauzia have on the upcoming European referendum and presidential elections?
Anatoly Dirun: Despite its small electoral weight, Gagauzia has a unique opportunity to shape and promote its agenda in Moldovan politics. Here everything depends on the political will of Comrat. In turn, the party in power missed the opportunity to seize the initiative in the region in the Bashkan elections, although it made such attempts.
In this regard, the pro-presidential party PAS does not count on Gagauz votes in the upcoming presidential elections. Another question is that since the referendum in 2014, the European Union has poured so much money into the autonomy that it will try to maintain its still minimal influence in the region. This means that the struggle for Gagauzia will continue.
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
Thank you!
Now the editors are aware.