Moldova’s economy will resist the test imposed by Russia by its ban on wine imports. It’s not yet known if the Moldovan politicians are as resistant, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Valeriu Lazar said in the public debate “Post-scriptum: What should Moldovan society know and do over the ‘bothering ’ statements about the Republic of Moldova made by foreign officials?” that was staged by IPN News Agency.
The official said the latest statements made by the Russian authorities and the embargo imposed on the Moldovan wine is rather a test for Moldova. “The economy will resist, but I’m afraid that the politicians will not. We must not react primitively to this first test. It was a small sting. Those from Russia know that this is not the most serious blow. We must understand that we are in a difficult regional context. We react in a provincial way. We must negotiate in a determined way with Russia, without inferiority complexes. If I was sure that all the Moldovan products are inoffensive, I would discuss in a different way,” said Valeriu Lazar.
He also said that there are honest producers in Moldova, but there are also impertinent and even criminal producers. “It’s not a test only for the political class and the economy. It’s a test for the political culture of the whole society. It was the first sting and there appeared fissures. The risks are rather high. The elections are coming and if the people realize the problems, they will choose in a different way. I’m bothered by the reactions of the political class and society,” stated the minister.
According to Valeriu Lazar, the fissures in the government coalition didn’t appear now. “They existed. It’s normal for a coalition government. There are ideological matters with which we will not agree. We must communicate more, be united and promote an idea. We must familiarize the people with the European values. It’s a test for society to show that this choice is indeed irreversible. I consider we still face certain risks,” he said.
The public debate “Post-scriptum: What should Moldovan society know and do over the ‘bothering’ statements about the Republic of Moldova made by foreign officials?” is the 21st of the series “Development of political culture by public debates”. The project is supported by the German foundation Hanns Seidel.
