On December 8, 2025, a group of 14 representatives from nine NGOs in Drochia district — all members of the Civic Platform “Governing Together” — together with the Vice President of the Drochia District Council, Mrs. Tatiana Botnar, conducted a study visit to the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova.
The purpose of the visit was to learn about the Parliament’s best practices on communication and cooperation with civil society and to explore opportunities for establishing a closer partnership aimed at improving communication between the Parliament and citizens from Drochia district.
After a short tour of the Parliament (including the Parliament Museum, the plenary chamber, etc.), the civil society representatives were invited to a discussion session with MP Ana Calinici, Vice President of the Parliamentary Committee on European Integration.
During the discussion, participants exchanged ideas on practical ways to strengthen cooperation mechanisms between central and local public authorities and civil society. They highlighted several long-standing and current challenges in their interaction with local public authorities (LPA), particularly the lack of consistent, structured dialogue, which is often overlooked at the local level. At the same time, civil society representatives within the Platform “Governing Together” expressed their willingness to revitalize partnerships with both level-one and level-two LPAs (Drochia City Hall and the Drochia District Council), as well as with the Parliament and the State Chancellery.
“The main purpose of this meeting is to learn from the new legislature. We want to establish a consultation mechanism with civil society at the level of Drochia district, involving the District Council, City Hall, and civil society. But for this, we need your support, the support of the Parliament, to carry the message forward. We want this dialogue to be compact, high-quality, and constructive.” – Ruslan Stanga, founder of iRi.
MP Ana Calinici welcomed the initiative and reiterated the Parliament’s openness to active cooperation with civil society:
“Members of Parliament must respond to citizens’ needs, because citizens are the voice of the community. Together with young people, you can approach the specialized committees and mobilize to engage with Parliament. We always discuss issues raised by civil society, our doors remain open. I encourage you to register on the list of stakeholders. This will allow civil society to participate in consultations across various areas: public hearings, including hybrid formats; receive recommendations on specific projects; report issues or needs; and initiate petitions or other important actions for Drochia district”.
During the discussions, members of the “Governing Together” Platform emphasized their intention to boost dialogue between civil society and authorities, especially in the field of official communication.
“Today we discovered that the doors of Parliament are not only open to elected officials, but to all of us. It was a moment when we felt that transparency and dialogue with civil society can truly transform a state. This is the beginning of a path where the people’s voice becomes part of history. Through the creation of the “Governing Together” Platform in Drochia district, we aim to achieve more for our district, and I want local representatives to understand this. We want to know how we can support them, and we believe that better communication with civil society is essential.” – Diana Russu, from the NGO “Woman of Today,” Drochia town.
Participants highly appreciated the presence of Mrs. Tatiana Botnar, Vice President of the Drochia District Council, who expressed her support for strengthening cooperation with civil society.
At the end of the day, members of the platform gathered for a reflection session at Europe Café, where they reviewed the visit and discussed aspects related to strengthening the “Governing Together” Platform.
“The visit to Parliament alongside civil society representatives from Drochia gave me the opportunity to present field experiences and highlight the importance of predictable dialogue with public authorities. I fully support the development of an active partnership between the Parliament, the District Council, Drochia City Hall, and civil society. The openness shown by the authorities confirms that we can build a cooperation process that truly responds to people’s needs.” – Ina Gradinaru, from the NGO Artemida, Drochia town.
The platform’s members will soon meet for another session to discuss the next steps.
At this stage, the Institute for Rural Initiatives (iRi) will ensure the Secretariat of the Platform. After a period of capacity-building and empowerment, the Platform will elect a new Secretariat.
The event was organized by the Institute for Rural Initiatives (iRi) in partnership with People in Need Moldova, under the INSPIRED Moldova project, funded by the European Union.
For more information about the Civic Platform “Governing Together”, click here.