{"id":444489,"date":"2017-09-20T10:58:15","date_gmt":"2017-09-20T10:58:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/?p=444489"},"modified":"2017-09-24T20:04:51","modified_gmt":"2017-09-24T20:04:51","slug":"germany-moldova-electoral-system-two-different-realities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moldova.org\/en\/germany-moldova-electoral-system-two-different-realities\/","title":{"rendered":"Germany and Moldova: same electoral system, two different realities"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

Victoria Colesnic, Moldova.org reporter, took part in M100 Young European Journalists Workshop. She spent two days in DIE WELT newsroom, where she wrote a short commentary on the German election and the mixed electoral system:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The German federal election is only four days away and is becoming the major topic for the most media outlets. Based on the current predictions, it looks like Angela Merkel\u2019s Christian Democratic Union party with its ally, the Christian Social Union, will win most of the votes after 24th<\/sup>\u00a0September.\u00a0\u00a0However, they will still seek for a coalition in order to form a majority.<\/p>\n

These are the basics known by the Moldovan public. From the point of view of an Eastern European country, the election campaign and the formation of the future Bundestag seems to be a well-established democratic process. The fact that the Chancellor Angela Markel will defend her position for a fourth term is a clear sign of stability and persistence.<\/p>\n

Germany\u2019s positive image in Moldova strengthened after the small post-Soviet country signed the Association Agreement with European Union in June 2014 and the Moldovans\u2019 sympathies shifted towards the EU and, consequently, Germany.<\/p>\n

However, Germany\u2019s good reputation was not always used in Moldova\u2019s best interest. For example, the Federal Republic was given as an example when the Moldovan leading Democratic Party started pushing the law that changed the proportional electoral system to the mixed one.<\/p>\n

Why is the German electoral system unsuitable for Moldova? Experts say that the mixed system is appropriate for large states with solid democracies, which Moldova is not. Cristina Gherasimov, a PhD candidate in Political Science at Rutgers University in New Jersey, explains it best for the Royal Institute of the International Affairs.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIf free and fair elections were held in Moldova today, the current ruling Democratic Party would win about 4 per cent of the vote,\u201d states Gherasimov, based on the national polls. It means that the proportional representation system would not secure the party any seats in parliament. \u201cBut if they cannot secure a parliamentary presence through popularity, the party seems intent on securing it through technicality\u201d, concludes Gherasimov.<\/p>\n

The law passed anyway, in July 2017, in spite of the 25 members of the European Parliament who asked the Moldovan authorities to withdraw draft on mixed electoral system and improve the current system.<\/p>\n

My short stay in Berlin proved me that these two countries, with different broad histories, but a recently shared electoral system, face opposing realities.\u00a0While the mixed system in Germany will favor democracy, the same system risks to disappoint the Moldovan citizens in November 2018, when the next parliamentary elections are expected to be held.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Dumitru Cobzari, Victoria Colesnic and Anton Ruliou in DIE WELT newsroom.
Photo credit: Martin U. K. Lengemann<\/p><\/div>\n

The commentary was originally published in German, on WELT’s website.<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>Victoria Colesnic, Moldova.org reporter, took part in M100 Young European Journalists Workshop. She spent two days in DIE WELT newsroom, where she wrote a short commentary on the German election and the mixed electoral system: The German federal election is only four days away and is becoming the major topic for the most media outlets. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":444491,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,3,8],"tags":[35],"class_list":["post-444489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-important-en","category-politics","category-world-news","tag-important"],"content_social_share":"Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

Victoria Colesnic, Moldova.org reporter, took part in M100 Young European Journalists Workshop. She spent two days in DIE WELT newsroom, where she wrote a short commentary on the German election and the mixed electoral system:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The German federal election is only four days away and is becoming the major topic for the most media outlets. Based on the current predictions, it looks like Angela Merkel\u2019s Christian Democratic Union party with its ally, the Christian Social Union, will win most of the votes after 24th<\/sup>\u00a0September.\u00a0\u00a0However, they will still seek for a coalition in order to form a majority.<\/p>\n

These are the basics known by the Moldovan public. From the point of view of an Eastern European country, the election campaign and the formation of the future Bundestag seems to be a well-established democratic process. The fact that the Chancellor Angela Markel will defend her position for a fourth term is a clear sign of stability and persistence.<\/p>\n

Germany\u2019s positive image in Moldova strengthened after the small post-Soviet country signed the Association Agreement with European Union in June 2014 and the Moldovans\u2019 sympathies shifted towards the EU and, consequently, Germany.<\/p>\n

However, Germany\u2019s good reputation was not always used in Moldova\u2019s best interest. For example, the Federal Republic was given as an example when the Moldovan leading Democratic Party started pushing the law that changed the proportional electoral system to the mixed one.<\/p>\n

Why is the German electoral system unsuitable for Moldova? Experts say that the mixed system is appropriate for large states with solid democracies, which Moldova is not. Cristina Gherasimov, a PhD candidate in Political Science at Rutgers University in New Jersey, explains it best for the Royal Institute of the International Affairs.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIf free and fair elections were held in Moldova today, the current ruling Democratic Party would win about 4 per cent of the vote,\u201d states Gherasimov, based on the national polls. It means that the proportional representation system would not secure the party any seats in parliament. \u201cBut if they cannot secure a parliamentary presence through popularity, the party seems intent on securing it through technicality\u201d, concludes Gherasimov.<\/p>\n

The law passed anyway, in July 2017, in spite of the 25 members of the European Parliament who asked the Moldovan authorities to withdraw draft on mixed electoral system and improve the current system.<\/p>\n

My short stay in Berlin proved me that these two countries, with different broad histories, but a recently shared electoral system, face opposing realities.\u00a0While the mixed system in Germany will favor democracy, the same system risks to disappoint the Moldovan citizens in November 2018, when the next parliamentary elections are expected to be held.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Dumitru Cobzari, Victoria Colesnic and Anton Ruliou in DIE WELT newsroom.
Photo credit: Martin U. K. Lengemann<\/p><\/div>\n

The commentary was originally published in German, on WELT’s website.<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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