At what stage of its historical development does Moldova find itself on the eve of its 24th anniversary from economic, political and social points of view? Is the development process normal, fast, slow? What are the lessons we have learned and those we are yet to learn? What are the short-term and long-term prospects of Moldovan society? These are the questions IPN is trying to answer through a series of articles titled “Moldova at 24 years of age: Who are we? Where are we going?”, by speaking to experts from different fields.
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According to Mihail Sirkeli, head of the Youth Center “Piligrim-Demo” from Comrat, Moldova is only at the beginning of its historical path because “24 years means little for history”. “The country has to gain experience and we need time for this. 24 years aren't enough for the development of the country, we are only beginning our road and it depends on us how we will develop. We made some mistakes, we achieved some goals, but we are at the beginning”, said Sirkeli.
In his opinion, Moldova is lagging behind when it comes to democratic development, relations with its districts, local autonomy and the distribution of power to districts. It is a very centralized state regarding financial decisions. “We can look at the experience of neighboring countries, but we must have our own experience. Although the country is small, it is diverse and this has slowed our democratic development”, explained the expert.
Sirkeli says that in these 24 years Moldova learned that it stands no chance if it becomes aggressive and uses force – this is the lesson of the Transnistrian conflict. “If force doesn't work, we should insist on dialogue, but we lack democratic dialogue. It would help us discuss our problems and find solutions. It is a thing we are yet to achieve”, he thinks.
Social and political tensions are on the horizon, corruption is flourishing and this hampers all the fields of activity, says the expert. In a more distant future we can expect calmer times, but it mostly depends on how society will deal with the current challenges.
Speaking about the country's European prospects, Sirkeli says that Moldova is farther from this goal than 2-3 years ago because of corruption scandals and massive thefts. “After 5 years of government from the Alliance for European Integration, we are farther from the EU. Moldova is still a captured state”, stressed Sirkeli.
The expert says that there are no external obstacles for the development of the country, only internal ones. Even Russia, previously portrayed as a barrier for Moldova's European integration, is now under the pressure of international sanctions and has other priorities than obstructing Moldova's European path. Still, things aren't moving forward and this should make us think.
Mariana Galben, IPN
