On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the declaration of Moldova’s Independence, IPN News Agency decided to depict the portrait of the current Republic of Moldova. For the purpose, it provoked a number of people, including state officials, politicians, businessmen, civil rights activists and persons without posts and titles, but who have what to say. The generic picture is entitled “Thoughts about and for Moldova”.
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Maia Sandu, the head of the Party “Action and Solidarity”: the Republic of Moldova is my homeland, with good and bad sides. Deer people, places and memories as well as the wish to show that civilization is possible here too keep me here. I wish the Republic of Moldova to be inhabited by happy people.
– What are the biggest accomplishments and failures during these 25 years of the declaration of Moldova’s independence? What mistakes did the governments and the people make?
– The biggest accomplishment was the avoidance of bloody conflicts as a method of solving problems, except for the Nisru war. The biggest failure resides in the fact that after 25 years of existence, the state is unable to fulfill its main duties – to ensure the observance of the rights of its people, their physical and economic security, education and health services of a high quality and elementary infrastructure. Consequently, the inequality and poverty level increased and a large part of the people lost hope in the possibility of building a bright future at home and chose to leave the country. Also, the state in the Republic of Moldova serves a minority of people, instead of serving a majority.
As regards the deficiencies in governance, many things can be said here, but the main reproach is the fact that practically no government thought strategically, to cover a longer period of time, and we now feel the results. The main mistake made by the people is that they chose such governments and didn’t sufficiently become involved in monitoring these.
– How should the country look like and what should we do in this regard?
– I would like the Republic of Moldova to be a country where we have the safety that we need to build a future. I would like to live in a country where the taxes I pay do not get into the pockets of shrewd men who came to power by corruption and lie, but are used equitably and wisely to improve the living standards of all the people. I would like to form part of an educated, tolerant, solid society united around common goals.
The government must realize the people’s will and act for the benefit of the people and society. Our problems derive from the internal division. We didn’t know to choose our road and to follow it. Many chose the individual ‘escape’ and left the country. It’s time to make a concerted effort for a change or there will be no persons able to do it in the near future.
– Do you see Moldova’s future in the European Union? What is your opinion about the opportunity of a referendum on the entry into the EU?
– Yes, I want the Republic of Moldova to become an EU member state. In a world of globalization, with its numerous benefits, but also with challenges, it is easier for a small country to develop in a community of countries that share the same values and that can ensure high living standards for their people. The European Union showed in time that the countries that join it develop much faster and this means better living conditions for the people of these countries.
To rich that point, we must first of all consolidate the society’s support for the European course. There is only one method of obtaining this – to have a really pro-European government that shows by deeds what European government means: to work for the benefit of society. Only when the people of this country are satisfied with the way the country is governed, will we be able to increase the support for this project. When a government proclaims itself European, but works against the own people, serving only some groups of interests, the effect is the opposite.
The referendum can be an option when the necessary conditions are ensured for this, especially the elimination of manipulation and misinformation though the agency of the controlled press.
– Before the presidential elections, polls show that you are one of the politicians with the biggest chances of winning. What are you expectations of the elections? How will the results of these elections influence the country’s future?
– Our major objective is to win the presidential elections, together with other authentic pro-European political forces, to remove the corrupt and anti-democratic system that is maintained by the current government and to initiate the rehabilitation and strengthening of the state institutions so that these serve all the people, as it is provided in the Constitution. The missing of this opportunity will delay the change for the better even more and will make the process of recovering the state more difficult.
– If a child asked you why should he be proud of being a citizen of Moldova, what would you answer?
– A child must be first of all proud of his parents who are near him. It is hard to explain the sense of citizenship to a child whose parents are abroad, trying to ensure a better life. If we manage to bring home the parents, the child will find the answer himself.
– How would you characterize the Moldovans in a discussion with a group of foreigners who didn’t visit our country?
– First of all, I would tell them that the Republic of Moldova is a country with superb nature about which we regretfully do not care much, but it deserves to be seen. The Moldovans are different. A large part of them are hardworking, modest and with common sense and manage to keep these qualities despite the difficult period of transition through which the country has gone during over two decades. Regrettably, there are also Moldovans who believe that they can profit from the work of others at a time when the state institutions are still weak and can be easily corrupted.
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Maia Sandu obtained a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government (U.S.). Between 2010 and 2012, she worked as an adviser to the World Bank Executive Director in Washington DC, U.S. From July 2012 until July 2015, she served as Minister of Education in Moldova. The Party “Action and Solidarity” that she heads was registered in May 2016.
Mariana Galben, IPN
The articles of the series “Thoughts about and for Moldova” started to be published on July 18. Among the protagonists are: Dumitru Alaiba, Iurie Ciocan, Ana-Maria Tulea, Ion Manole,Olga Gagauz, Stella Ciobanu, Iurie Leanca, Victor Parlicov, Doru Curosu, Igor Meriacre, Valeria Seican, Ciprian Raetski, Andrei Nastase Ghenadie Galca, Arcadie Barbarosie,Valeriu Matei, Eugen Doga, Dumitru Postovan, Petru Macovei, Tatiana Negrus, Nicolae Botgros, Igor Dodon, Iulia Iabanji, Mariana Onceanu Hadarca, Aureliu Batranac, Viorel Cibotaru, Eugen Bendilic, Petru Bodarev, Sergiu Prodan, Gheorghe Erizanu etc. When contacted, Nicolae Timofti, Andrian Candu, Pavel Filip, Marian Lupu, Vladimir Voronin, Mihai Ghimpu, Renato Usatyi, Valeriu Turea and others also agreed to give interviews.
