The former Romanian president Traian Băsescu has urged fellow citizens in Moldova to go out and vote in the EU parliamentary election this Sunday.

“Obviously it would be nice if they vote for the People’s Movement Party, but what matters most is that they go out and vote. Why is it important? If Moldovan citizens that are also Romanian citizens cast their ballots, they will be important for the parties and the parties will include this portfolio of votes of Moldovan origin in their government programs. If they ignore the election, the parties will treat this as an insignificant portfolio of votes and will not do what needs to be done for Moldova”, Băsescu, a honorary president of PMP, told a press conference in Chisinau.

“We are in the middle of a very important week – on May 26 elections for the European Parliament will take place across the European Union. Because in our view Moldova is also part of Europe and of the Romanian nation, together with Mr. President Traian Băsescu we thought it’s important to wrap up our election campaign here in Chisinau”, MP Eugen Tomac, president of PMP, stated at the same conference.

According to Băsescu, the number of Moldovans with Romanian citizenship has increased greatly since the last election. “A million is a lot, and a signal to show interest in European Union affairs is vital”, he stated.

As for the anti-graft referendum that will take place on the same day as the EU election, Traian Băsescu said that a solid turnout needed to validate the referendum “will demonstrate that the Romanians want a state based on the rule of law, which is essential to prop up Romania’s image”.

The former Romanian president heads PMP’s list of 43 MEP candidates standing in the Sunday election.