Political analyst Sorin Ionita, who is the director of Expert-Forum Romania, considers that nothing disastrous will happen if the Socialists’ candidate Igor Dodon wins the presidential elections in Moldova. The analyst, who was accredited as international observer, said that theoretically, Moldova stays on the European path, with an Association Agreement, and President Dodon will not tear up this document the next day, but there will be a lack of enthusiasm that the foreign partners will notice immediately. An interview with the Romanian expert was published in the bulletin “Foreign Policy Syntheses and Debates” that was compiled by the Foreign Policy Association, IPN reports.
“Also, it will be hard if Maia Sandu (PAS candidate) wins the election sbecause she does not have executive powers. Probably, her segment of hyper-enthusiastic voters waits for miracles from the third day, but the powers of the President are the same as earlier. But, possibly the people will have patience and will understand and there will be some changes, starting with the appointment of the prosecutor. At least a discussion will be initiated as to how a candidate is selected,” stated the Romanian analyst.
According to Sorin Ionita, the rather low voter turnout is everywhere a vote of censure to almost everyone – the political class in general and those who have been in power for many years in particular. “Not Igor Dodon is for now the loser, but the Government as it was clear that this banked on a solid victory, eventually by the first round, of Igor Dodon when it withdrew the chairman of the Democrat Party Marian Lupu from the race. And the battle is thus not trenchant,” said the analyst.
The director of Expert-Forum Romania considers that in the runoff elections both of the candidates will struggle with the own voters and will make effort to bring them to the polls. “The great battle will focus on those who didn’t vote, on the undecided ones, on the diaspora, on the young people who voted in a lower number probably because many of them are away. So, the right can supplement its reserves from among these,” he stated.
The publication “Foreign Policy Syntheses and Debates” centers on issues related to the foreign policy and European integration of Moldova and is produced by the Foreign Policy Association in concert with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES).