Does Moldova face the risk of experiencing the Ukraine scenario – intervention by another state on the pretext of ‘protecting’ the speakers of Russian, Romanian or Moldovan, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Gagauz etc? What should we do for the country’s people to feel at home in Moldova? IPN Agency is producing a series of articles where politicians, experts and representatives of national minorities provide answers to these and other questions.
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Assessing the interethnic relations in Moldova, politologist and Doctor of History Vitalie Andrievschi, who manages a network of information-analytical portals in Moldova and Ukraine (ava.md, apn.md, avaukr.com), made a joke, saying it could be worse. “Seriously speaking, we see a significant progress compared with the beginning of the 1990s. But there are also problems. For example, the government in Moldova is not multinational,” he stated, wondering if such a situation is normal for a multinational country with a large number of national minorities.
There are political parties, including in power, that do not include representatives of the national minorities. There are also problems as regards the promotion of Russian and other languages of the national minorities in regions that are densely populated by Russian-speakers. “This causes discomfort,” said Vitalie Andrievschi.
Asked about the risk of separatism promotion in the country or in separate regions, the politologist said that the country in general does not face such a danger. But there are certain regions that are ‘crisis areas’ and these are Gagauzia, Taraclia, Basarabeasca, northern Moldova, mainly the municipality of Balti, and Transnistria, where the situation is the worst.
Vitalie Andrievschi admitted that Moldova may be confronted with the Ukraine scenario, when another state would want to protect, including militarily, the speakers of Russian, Moldovan, Ukrainian, Gagauz, Bulgarian or other languages. “Yes, there is a certain danger. For different reasons, it can come from Russia and Romania,” he stated.
For all the country’s people to feel at home in Moldova, regardless of the nationality, the formation of a Moldovan civic nation should be continued, considers Vitalie Andrievschi. According to him, everyone must perceive Moldova as their motherland, while Moldova, in the person of the state, must treat all the people with the same respect.
Representatives of the national minorities should be included in the government, in the administrative bodies. The parties must also become multinational and have representatives of the national minorities in their administration. The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages should be implemented in Moldova.
Vitalie Andrievschi considers the national minorities must feel that Moldova is their home and this is the most important aspect. They must consider Moldova’s interests more important than the interests of their historical homeland.
Mariana Galben, IPN
