“On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the declaration of Moldova’s Independence, IPN News Agency decided to depict the portrait of the current Republic of Moldova. For the purpose, it provoked a number of people, including state officials, politicians, businessmen, civil rights activists and persons without posts and titles, but who have what to say. The generic picture is called “Thoughts about and for Moldova”.
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Director of the Institute for Public Policy (IPP) Arcadie Barbarosie: I can compare the situation in Moldova with a tree that is trying to grow, but there are too many stones and not enough water comes to its routes.
During the 25 years of Independence, the country didn’t manage to become a place not to be left by the people. On the contrary, it is a place that the people prefer to leave. Director of the Institute for Public Policy Arcadie Barbarosie considers that the political elites, starting with the first years, too often mixed up the own pocket with the state pocket and didn’t understand what reforms they should do or didn’t want to understand. “I’m afraid that we are coming closer to a period when the pensioners will not have where to get pensions from,” said the IPP director.
Arcadie Barbarosie noted that the country continues to be militarily occupied by Moldova’s strategic partner, which is a paradox. This is what it is said in the strategic partnership agreement with the Russian Federation, but the military troops continue to stay on the country’s territory that is not controlled by the central Government.
Society in Moldova is mainly patriarchal and derives from an authoritarian regime. It is used to the situation when the tsar, king decides everything, while the people carry out instructions obediently, without thinking critically. In such societies, it is very important for the political elites to understand what they have to deal with and rule so as, besides solving the problems and satisfying the people’s needs, to contribute to the education of society so that it has critical spirit and to the institution of critical mentality in the country. “Our leaders indulged in the applauses of the frenzied crowd, either with knot-shaped bread or with towels. The people do not ask what you, head of state, head of government, members of Parliament will do to develop infrastructure, economy, education and healthcare,” stated Arcadie Barbarosie.
Lack of critical spirit is like a chimera
According to the IPP director, the lack of critical spirit and the idolization of leaders who didn’t satisfy the needs of society and didn’t meet the expectations are among the biggest chimeras of society. The elites used their position firstly to enrich themselves, stimulating thus corruption in society. “Today we reached the situation when, being an independent country that started its development path unforced, we have a captive state controlled by one person,” he stated.
Arcadie Barbarosie believes that this is a disease of childhood of democracy, while the people got used to understanding democracy only once in four years, when going to vote. But democracy means something else. In the period between elections, the administration must be permanently monitored so that it does not commit illegalities and does things in the interests of society. This exists everywhere, starting with the lower level up to Parliament.
“It’s true that some of the people understand that they pay taxes and should see how this money is used, but these are only very rare and frail initiatives. The people know that they pay taxes and the state should decide what to do with the money or, worse, consider that this is the state’s money, not theirs. This is the money that every month the State Tax Service withdraws from their incomes, salaries, profit and normally the people should see what happens to this money and should not allow spending it illegally, stealing it or spending it inefficiently. This does not happen. For this to happen, society must grow up,” stated Arcadie Barbarosie.
He noted that the elections remain the only instrument for punishing the leaders who didn’t meet the people’s demands. The bad side is that our society often has to choose between bad and worse. When there is this division on the eastern and western dimensions, we often vote ours and ours are thieves, but they promise to continue the European reforms here, in Moldova. But these reforms were fully discredited, regardless of what the leaders say.
Independence = freedom of expression
The IPP director felt the country’s independence more at the beginning of the democratic reforms. He felt the most the freedom of expression, the freedom to demonstrate, the appearance of the pluralistic mass media, which are not always independent, and the people’s possibility of choosing the options themselves. “A lot of people criticize now the system established here, remembering with nostalgia the life during the Soviet period. I would recommend them again to remember how they entered the shops and saw nothing else but empty shelves, interminable queues at groceries. The fact that this Independence fell on us and caught us unprepared is probably one of the explanations why things go bad. There wasn’t an important segment in society that would have struggled for independence,” stated Arcadie Barbarosie.
He would like Moldova to look like Estonia, which is a small and developed state. He would tell a child to be proud of the fact that in Moldova he can learn well, can speak 5-10 languages, can study math, chemistry and history in deepness and knows who his ancestors are. He considers the Moldovan people are hospitable, especially those from rural areas, because in towns they may not open the door of an apartment when knocking at it, while in villages they will always open the gates and will also give you a glass of water. The Moldovans are ready to take risks. Actually, those who took risks already left. Also, the Moldovan people are lazy when it is about studying.
Anticipating how things will develop, Arcadie Barbarosie said that Moldova in 10-15 years will have different people in power. These will be young people who studied in the West and who will realize the country’s necessities and will advance the European reforms much more energetically. “In general, I’m optimistic. Some good roads were built and things in some of the areas could also move on,” he concluded.
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Since 2000, Arcadie Barbarosie has headed the Institute for Public Policy, which produces the Public Opinion Barometer. He is a member of the Initiative for Responsible Governance. He is a political analyst and national expert in public policies.
Anastasia Rusu, IPN
The articles of the series “Thoughts about and for Moldova” started to be published on July 18. Among the protagonists are: Dumitru Alaiba, Iurie Ciocan, Ana-Maria Tulea, Ion Manole,Olga Gagauz, Stella Ciobanu, Iurie Leanca, Victor Parlicov, Doru Curoşu, Igor Meriacre, Valeria Seican, Ciprian Raetski, Andrei Nastase , Ghenadie Galca, Nicolae Botgros, Igor Dodon, Eugen Doga, Iulia Iabanji, Petru Macovei, Mariana Onceanu Hadarca, Maia Sandu etc.
