Moldovans are not informed well enough about the benefits of European integration and the government is to blame for this. Opinions in this respect were voiced at a talk-show on Radio Moldova, IPN reports.
Arcadie Barbarosie, head of the Institute of Public Policies, says that the “government lacks a well-developed strategy for informing people about European integration”. According to the expert, polls show that TV is the main information source for about 90-93% of Moldovans. The government should focus on simple messages, understandable to ordinary people, broadcast via TV.
“It's regrettable that 52% of a poll's respondents think that a conflict similar to the one between Russia and Ukraine could happen in the EU. It's sad that people aren't informed and don't know the truth”, he said.
According to Barbarosie, in 2007 polls showed that 75% of Moldovans wanted European integration. This was because the Communist government then was in favor of the European course and led a propaganda campaign in this regard. After 2009, the number of pro-European respondents has been decreasing and this is partly because no clear explanation of this policy option was provided.
Mayor Eugen Salcutan of Mereni village told the talk-show that the lack of correct information for ordinary people might endanger the country's European course. “Those who have traveled or have relatives in the EU are informed, but there's a risk regarding those in Moldova who get their information from TV and our government does little to tell them about the benefits of the EU. Let's take one simple example: Igor Dodon's ad spot with the fruit crates that encourages people to join the Customs Union against the the pro-European ad where a mother tells a child with three sandwiches that he'll eat more in the EU. Unfortunately, Dodon's propaganda is smarter than that of the pro-European government. Is it really so hard to explain in a simple way that the EU is the future and the Customs Union the past?”, said the mayor of Mereni
