Mark Mazureanu, ASIST Analytics expert, said that over the years the Republic of Moldova has been a rather fragmented country. It is equally small and fragmented, in terms of ethnicity, language, age, urban and rural areas and also internal and external political priority, etc. In his opinion, the Soviet Union was the cause and consequence of the creation of such an unfriendly space. “The “European Moldova” project can become a banner of national unity. And if it is successful, and I believe it will be successful, then the Moldovans could identify themselves as a unique people, with a unique idea, with a unique dream, with a unique movement,” the expert stated in a debate entitled “Stages, objectives and benefits of the negotiation process with the EU|, organized by the Foreign Policy Association.
The expert noted that within the European project, Moldova will be among other peoples with equal rights. Here is the difference between the European space and the post-Soviet space. “There’s always an older brother there who takes the right to give you a flick. But in the European space, there is a partnership between brothers or sisters, based on principles of equality. And even if you have by your side Germany that is clearly superior economically, you cannot expect a flick from this brother under various pretexts,” said Mark Mazureanu.
In his opinion, the Russian propaganda, namely the “Putinist” propaganda, constantly and permanently affects Moldova. “Until Putin we had never had such waves, such elevated and powerful propaganda. Obviously, the further Moldova detaches itself from the pro-Russian vector, the more the propaganda wave has intensified. Obviously, this non-love towards Russia went hand in hand with the declarations of love for the EU and, respectively, Russia, as a state stripped of love, is jealous and throws all its malice on Moldova,” noted the expert.
Despite the wave of propaganda, says Mark Mazureanu, the world knows the opportunities of European integration, related to infrastructure, tourism, access to a common market, the economic and labor market integration. The business environment in Moldova will have to comply with a number of rules. “You inevitably enter a space where people have to pay all the contributions and taxes, but benefits come at some point, including pensions. This is how it works in the entire European space and, by inertia, if we become part of this space, it is assumed that in Moldova it will work too,” said Mark Mazureanu.
With reference to the referendum on European integration, the expert noted that if the vote is “for”, the movement will be clearly in the direction of the European Union and the EU states will be sure that the population of the Republic of Moldova is categorical in its decision.
This debate was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of the authors of the opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States government.
