The Economist: The last thing the EU wants is another chunk of poor and communist nuisance

“Moldova lacks central Europe’s glorious culture, the pungent romance of the Balkans, the charm and excitement of the Baltics, or the huge strategic importance of Central Asia and the Caucasus. Its main role is that of a country so obscure that it can safely be ridiculed, as it was showed in the Monday’s British publication “The Economist”. “Moldova is indeed flat, small, isolated, and ill-run, but it is not ridiculous”, the authors say. According to the publication, Moldova is run by incompetent provincial Soviet elite that has lost the confidence not only of the outside world, but also its own people. Romania’s newly won membership of the European Union makes its citizenship—available to most Moldovans—irresistibly attractive, and the process of unification unstoppable, “The Economist” writes. According to the same source, Romania struggled to get into the EU and is now struggling to survive there. Moldova has far worse problems, and is not even in the waiting room for membership. “The last thing the EU wants is another chunk of dirt-poor, ill-run, ex-communist nuisance, “The Economist” also writes. Also on Monday, the Independent Journalism Centre based in Madrid - El Conformista Digital, writes in its publication that Moldova, after a series of statements in which it voiced its willingness to come closer to EU and Western structures, returns to the old orbit of Moscow. In the annalists’ opinion, the Transnistrian conflict will find a solution only if Moldova returns to the Russian protectorate. At present, according to the cited analysis, the gradual integration of Moldova and Transnistria with Russia is taking place by means of a series of economic projects, which also sees an approach concerning Chisinau’s and Moscow’s position towards Moldova’s federalisation, as a solution to the Transnistrian dispute, which, possibly, will convert Moldova into a nonviable state. As El Conformista Digital writes, there is an increased tension between the pro-Romanian part of Moldovans and the pro-Russian political elite, taking into account the inflow of Moldovans into Romania. In the same article, El Conformista Digital presents a complex analysis of the social-political situation in Moldova, which since 1992 remains the poorest country in Europe. Over half of Moldovan population lives below poverty threshold. The life expectancy of Moldovan men is 61, while of women - 69. The rate of infantile mortality amounts to 3.2%.