[- Is the anniversary of 16 years of independence somehow different from the other anniversaries?] Of course it is a holiday for the Moldovan people, but I do not see a marked difference. I probably expected something more from this holiday. [- What successes and failures has Moldova witnessed during the 16 years of independence?] We stood in one place for too long. It was a difficult start. I myself have a number of questions now. For example, why does the Chisinau Cannery not work? Why was it closed if we are an agrarian state and have to process the raw material? Until recently, the construction sector was also stagnant. During the first years of independence we did not have a job. We worked in other areas, where we found something to do for payment. Now the situation has changed. We have better jobs. Yet, we are not morally satisfied. Let’s take these houses that we build. Who do we build them for? There are a lot of flats that have not been sold yet. A part of the flats are bought by people that came home from abroad, but we, simple workers, cannot afford such a house. This is a serious problem. Moreover, we build blocks of flats at the moment. Why should we not build a cannery that is needed in Moldova, so that we could develop? There is also another problem. Many young people go abroad. They finish their studies and go abroad to look for better living conditions, a better salary. After they acquire the necessary skills in Moldova, they leave for Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Latvia etc. The older ones remain in the country. [-Why do you think that Moldova is classed as the poorest state in Europe, with a recent study by the US magazine “Foreign Policy” ranking Moldova as the least stable country in Europe on the eve of Independence? When and how will it get rid of these tags?] I cannot tell you exactly. This is our sorrow. As you know, many states are interested in Moldova and we could learn from their experience. Maybe Moldova would have developed better. I ask myself many times and have not found an answer yet: why did it happen so, why did we not develop, why do we remain in the same place? Why should we buy locks from Poland? Why do we sell scrap metal abroad if we have a metallurgical plant and can manufacture everything we need? Why do we purchase reinforcing from Ukraine? Why the largest part of raw material is brought from abroad? [-Do you think that independent Moldova’s strategic objective of European integration is irreversible?] I think so. But we are not ready for this, neither morally nor economically and financially. And this is very important. [-A year after changing the name of the national holiday from Independence Day into Republic’s Day, do you think that the change was reasonable?] I cannot answer this question. [- Did the Moldovan people deserve the administrations that ruled during the independence period?] Maybe we were unlucky to have a bad administration, especially at the very beginning. I frequently discuss some questions with my colleagues – What did we win and who won since 1989-1990? Which strata won? The students, teachers, farmers – we all went out to fight for independence, freedom, and who won? Nether the doctors, nor the teachers and students won. Did anyone obtain something? [- Do you think that nothing has changed to the better since we gained independence?] I cannot say so. Yet, the things move slowly, very slowly. [- What is your opinion about the present government, which was in power during most of the years of independence?] I do not see another political force that would manage to change the things. If elections were held tomorrow, I would also vote for the communists. When the communists came to power, the things started to change little by little, in agriculture, in constructions… We are not morally satisfied, but they put the things in motion. The doctors, teachers receive salaries in time, not in two-three months as before. The people need what they need at present and not later.