The electoral Bloc "ACUM" has adopted an ambitious vision for European integration while the Socialists utilize an aggressive geopolitical tone, Dionis Cenusa writes in an analytical article for the IPN Agency.
More specifically, the opposition forces promised to prepare the country for membership in the EU by 2023, the political scientist notes. The major benefit of this step is the shaping of a unique and easily identifiable pro-European profile for the voter, argues Dionis Cenusa.
He believes that the rhetoric on European integration, adopted by the Bloc NOW, contains an element of incoherence. Thus, the opposition proposes a deadline of 2023 to bring Moldova to EU requirements, it lacked to adjust the entire electoral program to this goal and turning it into a coherent and convincing sort of "roadmap".
Moreover, the European integration is projected rather as an isolated policy from the point of view of foreign policy and partly in connection with Moldovan-Romanian relations, the political scientist points out.
The geopolitical tone taken over by the Socialists is based on the construction of fake arguments, of a Eurosceptic nature, around the Association Agreement with the EU, underscores Dionis Cenusa.
He suggests that PSRM's intention is to make a negative image transfer to all parties that advocate for a close relationship with the EU - both PDM and the Bloc NOW.
The political scientist brings some examples from the rhetoric of the Socialists, such as the comparison of the implementation of the Association Agreement with a hidden form of realization of the “unionist” project - the reunification of Romania with Moldova. He also refers to the undermining of the visa-free regime with the EU for not including a permissive clause for hiring Moldovans on the European labor market.
All these negative aspects addressed to the EU are contrasted with the advantages that the Socialists artificially deduced from the integration with the Eurasian Union, such as permanent neutrality, preferential access to the Russian market, guarantees for migrants and the protection of the Orthodox Christian space, the analyst concludes.