Even if Moldova manages to sign the Association Agreement with the EU in 2014, this will not help the current government to win the parliamentary elections. At the same time, while Moldova makes progress on the path to European integration, the pressure exerted by Russia will grow. Such opinions were stated by political analysts in the program “Politica” on TV7 channel, IPN reports.
Political analyst Anatol Taranu, who heads the Institute for Political Analysis and Consultancy “Politicon”, said he does not believe that in a year, when the Association Agreement with the EU may be signed, Russia will stop exerting pressure. On the contrary, it may step up its actions. “The goal of the Kremlin is to arouse a wave of dissatisfaction with the European integration process. The Government will be able to cope with the challenges if it simply develops a wave of elementary patriotism. The fact that Moldovan society is divided helps the Kremlin to divide it even more and the precipice will widen,” he stated, adding that the Vilnius Summit cannot guarantee the success of the 2014 parliamentary elections, but can ensure the victory of the current administration.
Moldova’s former ambassador to the UN and the Council of Europe, political analyst Alexei Tulbure does not believe authorities’ promises that next year Moldova will become a ‘building site’ that will generate workplaces. “I think a lot of money will come from the EU, but I don’t think that it will not be stolen. A report on the democratic situation and the reform implementation degree in Moldova will be presented at the Council of Europe in October. The report is very critical and I’m not sure that we will be commended in Vilnius,” he stated.
He added that the initialing of the Association Agreement is just a symbolic act and when this document is initialed everyone will ask what that ante-Vilnius hysteria was needed for. The analyst considers that the current government will win the 2014 legislative elections only if it uses technologies to mobilize the nation, or if it rigs the elections.
Political analyst Viorel Cibotaru believes that the political struggles during the campaign that will precede the 2014 elections will be stiff. “The rulers consider that by obtaining the signing of the Association Agreement, they will win the legislative elections. But the Vilnius Summit will be forgotten quickly. There will be yet a period of transition before the signing that will require obligatory actions,” he said.
Political analyst Bogdan Tirdea stated that opinion leaders from Russia will try to mislead certain sections of Moldova’s population about the country’s European future and about the benefits of being an EU member. “We saw raider attacks staged by Russia on the banking system. Certain players buy facilities of strategic importance. They form part of the government coalition and are connected with those from Russia, and profit from the situation,” he said.
In the same connection, director of the Association for Participatory Democracy ADEPT Igor Botan noted that Russia has a strategy and does not hide its attitude towards Moldova, which will change depending on the progress made in the European integration process.
