“The people want what they always wanted, legitimately: higher incomes, jobs, better hospitals and better equipped schools with sufficient and well-trained teachers. In general, they want a state that would solve their problems, but would not create new problems. During the last few years, as we know very well, many Moldovans left the country because they lost hope that everyone has a chance and can have a decent life near the family at home, in Moldova. There is yet a big fear of the future. The people do not trust each other and optimism is absent,” said Prime Minister Pavel Filip. In an interview for IPN, given on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of the declaration of Moldova’s independence, he stated that the way in which the people behave towards the politicians and those who hold posts of public responsibility is what makes a difference now. “The people are very critical and have bigger expectations of those who they elect to public posts. This is normal,” he said.
“My message to the citizens of the Republic of Moldova is that the Government is on their side. We understand what they want and it is our first responsibility to transform Moldova into a functional state with a modern economy and with a quality of life similar to that in the European states. In exchange, we ask for a minimum investment of trust based on the internationally recognized accomplishments of the past one year and a half of government,” stated the Premier.
As to the geopolitical situation and the situation in the region where the Republic of Moldova is situated, Pavel Filip said there are powerful forces that want the Republic of Moldova to remain in a gray area, not to strengthen itself democratically and to be weakened by internal and external disputes. “I think the biggest risk at this moment is to believe that there is another project besides the one that centers on the European integration idea. No, there is no alternative and this thing can be easily seen if we look at our history of the past 26 years. There are enough decision makers who looked at the East without ensuring the expected changes. While some brought electric power from the East, an increasing number of Moldovans left the country to Western Europe,” he stated.
The Premier noted an honest dialogue inside the political class and in society on what went wrong during the past 26 years and what should be done is necessary. “This can be a precondition for reconciliation, for leaving the old problems aside and stopping to create vulnerabilities ourselves. If we assume the condition with dignity and are serious in the relationship with the Western partners, we would be able not only to resist in our region and to resolve such conflicts as the Transnistrian one, but could also grow at an accelerated pace. My hope is that we will not believe in chimeras and will prefer to work seriously and to have a predictable behavior at national and international levels,” said Pavel Filip.
As regards the separatism existing in the Republic of Moldova, the Premier said this has two main causes. “On the one hand, there are players, including institutional ones, who profit from and encourage such tendencies in order to exert disproportional and even dangerous influence on the Republic of Moldova. For them, the sovereignty we enjoy as a state, in virtue of the international law, is rather an optional aspect. The respect for Moldova was replaced by the wish to control us. On the other hand, there are fears among the population in these areas, sometimes legitimate, as to the protection of identity and achievement of the economic and social development objectives,” he stated.
“We can now assure those who have such fears, starting with those from the Transnistrian region, that their rights and freedoms will be protected and respected by the Government and Parliament of Moldova. We have equal responsibilities towards all the citizens of this state and thus work to swiftly identify a solution for the Transnistrian region, which would be in agreement with the international law principles and would preserve sovereignty.”
