Our title of “transitional economy” is long overdue

{Info-Prim Neo interview with siblings Cristina and Dumitru Podgurschi, from the cycle “Independent for 21 years. New Moldovans coming?!” ORIGINALLY published on 1 August 2012 } {The Info-Prim Neo Press Agency launches today the “Independent for 21 years. New Moldovans coming?!” rubric. It seemed appropriate to us to start it with two Moldovan youths, the fates of whom we’ve been observing closely. Cristina Podgurschi works at a prestigious bank in Paris; Dumitru Podgurschi has recently gotten a bachelor’s degree from a famous American-type university in Bulgaria. In an interview with them, from two years ago, the Info-Prim Neo Agency coined the term “new Moldovans”, representing a category of people whom Moldova can rely its future hopes upon. It is true that the Agency found it necessary to end the sentence “New Moldovans coming” in an exclamation mark (!), as a symbol of hope, and an interrogation mark (?), in order not to scare our luck away. In that interview, Cristina was saying that Moldova is a (re)construction site and Dumitru qualified it as an empty canvas for a painter. How do the Podgurschis see Moldova today, one from within the country and one from abroad?} [- What did you do in the meantime? Did you stumble upon anything new on “the way towards yourselves”, to quote Cristina’s words? ] [Cristina Podgurschi:] – Several major events happened in the last two years. My “timely stop” in Paris, which I mentioned in the last interview, may take a bit longer. Meanwhile, I acquired French citizenship and managed to change my job. I am staying at the same bank, but the new position correlates better with my field of study and my aspirations. [Dumitru Podgurschi:] – I graduated the American University in Bulgaria this year, and I hope to find myself enrolled at a university in China starting next academic year. Between the two stages I decided to make a stopover in Chisinau, and I temporarily work at the Info-Prim Neo Press Agency, so –“Hello, colleague!”. During the last two years I have managed to prove some of my convictions, and be deceived by others. I spent the last two summers at home, and I managed to see how I have changed in regards to Moldova and vice versa. [- What is your current occupation? Are you still in the category Info-Prim Neo conventionally dubbed “new Moldovans”? Are they still coming?] [Cristina Podgurschi:] – I personally prefer the title “new Moldovans in becoming”. Full throttle youth has its own flaws: it continually offers new opportunities and challenges, such that without realizing you switch priorities and leave certain projects and reflections pending. Today, the thought of coming back home doesn’t really roam through my mind. I admit, I am not ready and I don’t want to take this step at the moment. [Dumitru Podgurschi:] – The answer is highly relative. We are not the ones we were in 2010, yet we are still ourselves, hence, the same “new Moldovans”. Regardless of how pleasant the title is, I hope “newer Moldovans” appeared in the meantime, ones who would serve as testimony to our little country’s progress. They are still coming, some quicker, some slower. The tempo, however, is irrelevant; we have progress and that’s what matters. [- Albeit being sister and brother, you have chosen opposite itineraries in life: Cristina wanted to take Moldova’s fame abroad, whereas Dumitru preferred to help his presence and activity here, at home. What motivates you to be so firmly convinced in your choices?] [Cristina Podgurschi:] – I am still firmly convinced that it is not necessary to stay home to assist your country’s progress and growth. The privilege of such convictions is the result of experience: for example, the chair of the master’s degree program I graduated from in Nice boasts, at the beginning of every academic year, that he has at least one Moldovan in his class. Following the same train of thought, my former department head has on numerous occasions asked, jokingly or not, if we are going to hire any more Moldovans. Rumor has it we are all “competent and diligent polyglots”. She must know what she’s saying! [Dumitru Podgurschi:] – The efforts given into achieving goals generate a certain amount of inertia. We start off as naïve kids, but time influences each of us differently. While abroad, I believe both of us have sought refuge in our studies/job. The rest is as simple as possible: the more we work, the more we achieve, the more we achieve, the more we want. In this sense, I believe the motivation is the same old intention to become successful people and assure a decent living. What differs is our approach to these aspirations; now we have more energy, more ardor than two years ago. [- How evident is Moldova’s improvement for Dumitru, from within the country, and for Cristina, from abroad?] [Cristina Podgurschi:] – I am very curious of Dumitru’s answer to this question, since our country’s improvement is not evident to me at all, be it from within the country, or from abroad. Two years ago I was very optimistic about our country’s future and was enthusiastically for THE CHANGE. Today, after a shameful, failed referendum, after several presidential/parliamentary elections, we, the Moldovans from abroad, didn’t even have the honor to see our votes (on A4 paper sheets) get validated, the change still fails to happen. To be honest, it is makes me sad to see my country in this state of permanent political lethargy and economic hibernation. We’ve overexploited our luxury to shelter under the title of “transitional economy”. When I talk about Moldova to someone in France, I conscientiously filter the information I want to share about my country. This phenomenon seems far stretched from normal to me. [Dumitru Podgurschi:] – The improvement is evident. It is certain that Moldova is developing, yet everything happens in our typical style: one step forward, several steps back. It is easy to lose track in such tempo; after several steps you end up not knowing whether you’re advancing or lagging behind. I can observe more changes from within the country, compared to what I used to see from abroad, but this fact wipes away some of my optimism. From abroad we only notice great events, those with international resonance, but I’ve gotten to see all the dirt from the Parliament and regional administrations only after I came home. They may be depressing here and there, but I am glad that Moldova takes confident steps towards political maturity. This path is long and difficult, but what is currently happening is actual transition, whereas before we’ve only experienced a medley of Soviet rudiments. We used to have only one Vladimir in politics, now we have several and all of them are highly active, whereas political pluralism is a definitive trait of democracy. [- Now, after two years, would continue the sentence “At … years of independence, the Republic of Moldova is for me …” in the same way as before, or would you change something?] [Cristina Podgurschi:] – The sentence stays actual; our foundation is still shaky, and the leaders have not (yet) proven their craftiness. As for international acknowledgment, we are on the right path, but there is still much effort to be put into it. [Dumitru Podgurschi:] – Following the idea of an empty canvas we are now at the stage of a crayon sketch. It’s a pity that too many “painters” throw themselves at the same canvas, since someone has already managed to stain it. However, everyone knows we’re moving forward, and the image that takes shape promises itself to be beautiful. [- After 21 years since gaining independence, what do you think would be the most realistic and useful scenario for Moldova: affiliation to the European Community, affiliation to the Eurasian Community, anything else? Why?] [Cristina Podgurschi:] – Taking into account the historical marks, as well as Russia’s economic influence over our country, for a great many citizens, the scenario easiest to notice and argue would be the affiliation to the Eurasian Community. I don’t even want to discuss the usefulness of such a scenario, since the Russian Empire/Russia never preoccupied itself with the well-being and improvement of the countries it had conquered, and in partnerships it only cares about its own interests. Russia will see us the same way it always used to, as simple providers of primary goods and cheap unskilled labor. I still keep hope, however, that our little country will firmly step towards Europe. The current alarming economic state of the EU casts doubt on the integration of any new member, yet I still believe that Moldova is an attractive and strategic for the EU, in terms of geopolitics and balance of power relative to Russia. [Dumitru Podgurschi:] – The EU is the only viable option for Moldova. I will touch the subject of the Eurasian Community just to say that anyone who seeks democracy alongside Putin, Lukashenko, or Nazarbayev, is naïve. It pleases me greatly that the EU started paying us more attention. Monitoring by the European Community is exactly what our officials need. We are maturing, step by step, and the European Union seems to be the only structure that would fuel our growth without stealing, in turn, our integrity and dignity. [Svetlana Maftei, Info-Prim Neo]