The 2009 Campaign Slogans. Where Is The Sauce? Analysis by Info-Prim Neo

Well-conceived campaign slogans may have some influence on the electoral choice of the voters. At least that's what both PR theorists and professionals believe. But they suggest that the slogans in Moldova suffer from the heritage of the Communist era slogans, or in a better case, are merely faded battle cries. The ongoing campaign is not an exception. Most of the slogans are clumsy, inexpressive, uninspired, and whatever else one can say about a slogan, with the addition of a negative prefix, says Ruslan Tanasa, a political analyst. However, there are slogans which the experts believe to have a little bit of inspiration. According to political communication expert Aurelia Peru, this is the case of {“You Deserve More!”} used by the [Moldovan Democratic Party]. Peru thinks it resembles Obama's {“Yes, You Can!”} tag-line, because it focuses on the individual. “There is a connection between these slogans, they both challenge the voters and allow them to hope what they truly wish for”, explained Peru. According to her, another piece of good job is the [Liberal Democratic Party's] {“Stop Communism! Green for Moldova!”}. Besides having a direct connection with the emblem of the party – a green oak tree, the green color means renewal, life, change. It is also supposed to mean a radical change of the political elite, of the governing class, and suggests a semaphoric antagonism to the color traditionally associated with the Communists. The Lib-Dems' slogan is an emulation of the tag-line used to promote the party in the 2007 local elections, and in general, the Lib-Dems' parliamentary campaign builds a lot on the platform that carried them through the local campaign two years ago. [The Liberal Party] comes with the most simplistic electoral slogan: {“We Vote Together for a Better Life”}, which, when translated from Romanian, loses the rhyme, making it even more dull. “The Liberal Party has never used the old but effective PR tricks. Rather they look to capitalize on the charisma of their leaders”, observed Aurelia Peru. At the same time, the PL's slogan seems to work for them, as it makes the ruling party their number one rival and prefigures the possibility of a radical change. The slogan used by the [Moldova Noastra Alliance], {“The Force that Wins!”}, targets the undecided and disappointed voters and is a suggestion not to vote for minor parties which don't stand a chance to clear the 6 percent required to enter the parliament. [The Social Democratic Party's] slogan, {“A Strong Moldova – A Strong Economy – A Better Life”}, is a clear hint to the global economic slowdown. By using it, the party tries to capitalize on the fears related to the world crisis. [The Moldovan Communists' Party], with the slogan {“An European Moldova – Let's Build it Together”}, attempts to undermine the pro-European efforts of the Opposition parties, thinks Peru, while the slogan {“A Change for the Better Only with the Communists Party”}, is used to convince the electorate that the ruling party will be able to fulfill all its promises, if it gets another term. The slogan of the [Christian Democratic People's Party], {“Listen to Your Heart! Moldova – A Success Country!”} aims to soften the hearts of the electorate, evoking such symbols as sympathy, sincerity and faith in God, but also to promote the campaign of the same name launched by the party's leader Iurie Rosca. [The Green Alliance Party], with the slogan {“A Clean Man in a Prosperous Country!”}, promotes a symbiosis between the environmental ideology and integrity in politics. [The Centrist Union's] slogan, {“For the Nation, Country, Traditions! A New Course for Moldova”}, is quite contradictory, says Peru. While the party is an outspoken proponent of stronger ties with the East and the Kremlin in particular, the referral to such values as nation, country and slogans, places it in the camp of the nationalists and unionists, confusing the voters. [The Conservative Party's] phrase {“Your Party in the Moldovan Parliament! Your Party – Your Future!”} can be barely called a slogan. It's rather a stereotype, a mixture of sterile words that tell nothing to the voter, and gives no individualism to the party. Hearing [the European Action Movement's] slogan {“Moldova Without Corruption!”} one can mistake it for the catchphrase that the Christian-Democrats used in the 2001 and 2005 campaigns, {“For a Clean Government”}. For the devoted voters the slogan is an extra reason to keep their political allegiance. For the undecided voters, the slogan, alongside the other components of the electoral offer, should give sufficient reasons in support of a given candidate or political party, says the political analyst Ruslan Tanasa. A well-thought slogan should bring electoral gains, materialized in votes on election day. The slogan must be a concentrated version of the electoral program. A masterly formulated slogan will emphasize the differences between the candidate and the rivals and will be a strong argument in making a decision whom to vote for.