The difference between those who are for Eurasian integration and the supporters of the European integration course became more pronounced and rose to almost 20%, according to the Public Opinion Barometer presented on April 16. In a possible referendum on Moldova joining the EU next Sunday, 40% of those polled would vote in favor, while 42% against. In a referendum on joining the Eurasian Union - 58% would vote in favor, while 26% against, IPN reports.
Assessing Moldova’s foreign relations, 74% of the respondents said the country has good and very good relations with the EU, 70% said the relations with Romania are good, while over 60% said the relations are good and very good with the U.S. and Ukraine. Over 60% of those polled are convinced that Moldova’s relations with Russia are bad.
The main countries where the respondents would like to settle are: Russia (23.6%), Germany (6.5%), Italy (3.6%), France, the UK and other EU countries (together 6.2%), Canada (almost 3%), and the United States (2.2%).
41% of the respondents said the country’s security is best ensured by its status of neutrality, while 21% said the entry into NATO would be beneficial. If a referendum on joining NATO was held next Sunday, 48% of those polled would vote for, 8% would not take part in the referendum, while 21% didn’t decide or didn’t want to answer.
As to the level of corruption in the world, 42% of the respondents said corruption in Russia is greater than in the EU, while 21% said the opposite. 36% didn’t know how to answer. Among the trusted world personalities, 61% mentioned the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, 44% – German Chancellor Angela Merkel, 36% - Romanian President Klaus Johannes, while 32% – U.S. President Barak Obama.
Igor Botan, director of the Association for Participatory Democracy (ADEPT), who presented the poll results, said the parties that ruled the country and that called themselves pro-European undermined and discredited the European course. It is for the first time that the difference between those who are for the Eurasian integration and those who are for the European integration reached almost 20%.
The poll was conducted by the Center for Sociological Investigations and Marketing CBS-AXA between March 28 and April 7 on a representative sample of 1,104 people from 85 settlements, except for the Transnistrian region. The margin of sampling error is plus-minus 3%.
