Moldova should not choose between the Eastern model and the Eastern one and should have a Moldovan development model that would center on quality standards and the social security of the people, Socialist MP Vladimir Golovatiuc stated in the public debate “Eastern model and Western model for Moldova: differences, advantages, disadvantages. Chances of “Third Way” that was staged by IPN News Agency and Radio Moldova.
The MP said the Eastern and Western models are actually inexistent and Moldova should follow an own development model. “We can borrow what’s best from the East and the West, things that work better, but Moldova should yet follow an own path and should develop the economy so that this meets the realities here,” stated the MP, noting that laws that meet the European norms are often adopted, but ultimately these do not work in the realities in Moldova because an individual country development model is needed. According to him, the choice is not between the East and the West, but in the Moldovan economy’s future and in the kind of economic model that the country will adopt when it orients itself to the EU or Russia.
Vladimir Golovatiuc noted it is not true that the Party of Socialists wants to place obstacles on the path to European integration. “We estimated what we should expect from the EU and what the cooperation with this gives us. We know that the integration into the Eurasian Union will enable us to solve the economic problems, to resume exports to the Eastern market and to re-conquer the Russian market. We always speak about pragmatism and realism. Namely these two principles should be respected in the choice of the pro-Moldovan development model. We should borrow what’s best in the world and implement this in the people’s interests because we have economic growth without development, but we want development for the business and the people,” he stated.
In the same connection, the MP reminded that a number of civil society organizations staged a roundtable meeting on the entry into the EU versus the entry into the Customs Union in Chisinau five years ago. In that meeting, the representatives of the EU spoke about the benefits of coming closer to the EU, including the reduction in consumer prices and GDP growth. “In reality, after five years the people do not live better even if the country received billions of dollars and euros in the form of grants and loans. Plants weren’t built and the poverty level among the population wasn’t reduced. On the contrary, the level of corruption increased during the last few years and US$ 1 billion was stolen from the banking system. The strategic partnership with Russia disappeared during the last three years,” stated Vladimir Golovatiuc.
He noted it is not right to speak about a rise in Moldova’s exports to the EU following the growth of production because it is actually about products that do not go to the Russian marker and are now exported to the EU. The fact that the Moldovans receive more money from abroad in remittances, but hesitate to convert it into lei shows that these do not see economic stability in the country in the future and convert even the savings in lei into foreign currency.
The MP also said that only those who will remain in the country after the massive migration of Moldovans will benefit from the entry into the EU and the EU offers Moldova money for developing the infrastructure and repairing roads only for having ways of access to import.
The public debate “Eastern model and Western model for Moldova: differences, advantages, disadvantages. Chances of “Third Way” was the 77th installment of the series of debates “Developing political culture by public debates” that are organized with support from the Hanns Seidel Foundation of Germany.
