The protest was deflated and the protesters’ energy was wasted on creating a political party led by Andrei Nastase, who is a small-scale, inconsistent, vainglorious leader lacking strategic thinking. This is how sociologist and civic activist Vitalie Spranceana described the April 24 protest on his website platzforma.md, IPN reports.
In an article entitled “About protests that change nothing”, the sociologist writes that the oligarchic regime is now more stable than ever. “Plahotniuc, or whatever the name of the clan that holds political and economic power is, is more powerful than in any moment of its history. On the one hand, this unilaterally controls Parliament, the Government and justice. On the other hand, where he does not control directly, like in the Chisinau City Hall for example, this controls by allies. But more important than this is the fact that the regime has a very convenient, predictable and unoriginal opposition. This makes it weak and inefficient,” wrote Vitalie Spranceana.
The activist noted that the Party/Platform “Dignity and Truth” cannot put up serious resistance and impose itself as a ‘third way’ on the right because it does not have a vision, a government program, ideas and a coherent country program. “Moreover, given that it made the political protest get stuck in ‘endless patriotic matinees’ accompanied by long useless marches through the city, the Party “Dignity and Truth” did even a service to the government by helping it to come together, to control and ‘cool down’ the protesters’ energy,” wrote the sociologist.
Vitalie Spranceana also said that on the left, Igor Dodon reached a kind of pact with the regime, at least until autumn, when the presidential elections that Dodon hopes to win will take place. “The ‘religious’ motivation not to take part in the protest because the feast of Palm Sunday was celebrated on April 24 will have to be proven on May 9, when the Victory March will be staged. This is a defining holiday for the parties built on the Soviet nostalgia. But the Christian feast of Low Sunday is observed also on May 9. Usatyi is much more unpredictable to count on him as on a long-term opposition, even if he is interesting and original in the short term,” he stated.
The sociologist concludes by saying that political creativity, mobilization at the lower levels and in regions, new forms of political participation, movements without leaders and new debates and ideas are needed.
