The Communists who ruled in 2001–2009 were the first who realized that Russia’s anchors cause damage to the Republic of Moldova and tried to destroy them. The Party of Communists from 2004 until 2007 had been exemplary in terms of the European integration of the Republic of Moldova after it realized that Russia is a partner that wanted to anchor the Republic of Moldova by all methods. Three projects to anchor Russia’s interests existed so far: the Transnistrian region, the gas and the federalization as an instrument to dissipate the decision adoption center, political pundit Igor Boțan stated in public debate hosted by IPN.
The expert noted that the then President of Moldova Vladimir Voronin and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin often discussed the Transnistrian settlement process. The Russian side proposed that not one decision adoption center should exist in Moldova, in Chisinau, but three such centers – one in Chisinau, one in Comrat and one in Tiraspol. This was a federalization formula according to which Chisinau should depend on the other two eventual subjects. This and other actions by Russia influenced Vladimir Voronin’s decision to sign the decree on the European integration of the Republic of Moldova in November 2002, which influenced the Moldovan-Russian relations.
“Since 2006, Russia has imposed bans on our products. Chisinau called the EUBAM to the border with Ukraine, on the Transnistrian segment. This way, the Republic of Moldova started its way to the European integration. The whole pro-European mechanism of the Communists failed in 2007, when they lost the municipal elections and got scared that their voters, a pro-Russian segment, would abandon them,” stated Igor Boțan.
The permanent expert of IPN’s project noted that the start of the war against Ukraine is the last water discharge that separates Moldova from Russia. As a result, the Republic of Moldova withdraws from some of the CIS treaties, aligns itself with sanctions imposed by the West against Russia and follows the path of European integration. In all the OSCE ministerial summits at the start of December, documents are adopted and these stipulate that Russia should honor its obligations and withdraw its military presence from the Transnistrian region. Almost one third of a century has passed since the Transnistrian conflict arouse, but nothing has changed. In other areas where Russia was a mediator, wars broke out.
Igor Boțan said that after Russia launched its aggression against Ukraine, the Moldovan authorities showed that they condemn this aggression and support Ukraine alongside the EU and other states even if some say that Moldova as a neutral state should not state its attitude, but this is foolishness.
“Opinion polls show that our society remains divided. The cleavages existing in society have deepened owing to the attitude to this war. According to these polls, about 30% of the citizens, probably those who support pro-Russian parities in the Republic of Moldova, sympathize with Russia. The absolute majority of citizens with pro-European views sympathize with Ukraine, support the government, but we have one third of the citizens with the right to vote who are abroad and 90%-95% of them have pro-European views that they showed in national elections in 2020-2021. From this viewpoint, I think the Republic of Moldova now follows the correct path,” concluded the expert
The public debate entitled “Moldovan-Russian relations amidst war” was the 280th installment of IPN’s project “Developing Political Culture through Public Debates” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation of Germany.
