If a referendum on Moldova’s entry into the European Union was held next Sunday, 47.2% of the respondents of the Public Opinion Barometer would vote for, while 25.8% would vote against. If a referendum on Moldova’s entry into the Eurasian Union (Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan) was held, 42.4% of those polled would vote for, while 30.4% would vote against. The POB for November was presented by the Institute for Public Policy (IPP) in a news conference at IPN on December 14.
IPP director Arcadie Barbarosien said that as in the case of entry into the EU, the number of those who are for entry into the Eurasian Union is higher, but the figure is lower than the number of those who are pro EU. If a referendum where the voters would be asked to choose between entry into the European Union and entry into the Eurasian Union was held, 38.1% of the respondents would choose the first, while 32.6% the second. Another 23% provided no answer.
Some 59.8% of those surveyed described the relations between Moldova and the EU as good, while 7.1% as very good. The relations with Romania are also perceived as positive: 60.8% said they are good, while 5.2% very good. 50.9% of those surveyed said the relations with the United States are good, while 5% said they are very good. The relations with Ukraine are considered good by 51% of the respondents and very good by 1.6%. The figures for the relations with Russia are 49.4% and 4.8% respectively.
In an eventual referendum on Moldova’s union with Romania, 21.8% of the respondents said they would vote for the union, 56.2% would vote against, 7% would not take part, while 15% do not have an option. As to Moldova’s union with Russia in an eventual referendum, 33% would vote for the union, 40.3% would vote against, 10% would not take part, while over 16% do not have an option.
According to sociologist Vasile Cantarji, they insisted on introducing questions about the union with Romania and with Russia too being instigated by President Igor Dodon’s promise to ban unionism and the unionists in Moldova. “According to the poll results, almost 22% of the citizens would vote for the union with Romania, while 33% for the union with Russia. Cumulatively, if the President delivers this promise, he will have to ban over half of the country’s population. This is an amusing and simultaneously sad moment,” stated the sociologist.
The survey was conducted between November 18 and December 5, 2017 and covered a sample of 1 113 persons older than 18 from 82 communities of Moldova, except for the Transnistrian region. The margin of sampling error is +/- 2.8%.
