“We were European continent's shame as we had a Communist government, but now we still lag behind as regards freedom,” president of the Association of Bessarabian Youth in Romania
- 06.01.2010 14:07
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- 3 minute(s)
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[The Republic of Moldova at an intersection of years – Info-Prim Neo survey]
“We were the shame of the European continent as we had a Communist government,” Dan Caranfil, the president of the Association of Bessarabian Youth in Romania, stated for Info-Prim Neo. “The fall of the Communist regime in Moldova is the greatest accomplishment of 2009, but now we still lag behind as regards freedom.”
The incontestable return to democracy is a success of 2009. Unfortunately, Moldova did not yet make progress in ensuring the freedom of the press, the economic freedom, the freedom of movement, Dan Caranfil said.
“We still have a visa regime with Romania and the European Union. The economic development, which is essential for a poor country, is replaced with sterile discussions about ethnicity or language. We wasted too much energy on useless things. Moldova did not concentrate on the real problems.”
According to Caranfil, the liberalization of the border traffic is another accomplishment. “I hope the Moldovan authorities will manage to negotiate the liberalization of the movement to the EU for the whole country during a short period of time.”
Dan Caranfil said the change of power in the country was also the result of young people’s efforts and that the students studying in Romania have the duty to help those that are at home. “We want to return home when we finish studies and to contribute to the country’s development. But we should have conditions to develop,” he said.
The young Bessarabian students want that their parents could come to them in Romania whenever they want and that Moldova follows the path to European integration. “Oscillating between the East and the West we make a step forward and one backward. The new government should remain in power during four years. The instability is harmful,” Dan Caranfil said.
The young people who study in Romania are ambitious, powerful and intelligent. They want to show that they can bring the European values in Moldova, he added.
Olga Bondari, secretary general of the Association of Yong Bessarabians in Iasi, said greater emphasis was laid on the promotion of the young people in different activities and state institutions compared with the previous years.
“From economic viewpoint, I consider the rise in bus and trolleybus fares and the water charges in Chisinau a success. The fact that the salaries and pensions are paid on time is also a success,” said Olga.
Among other successes, the young Bessarabians mentioned the fact that the Christmas tree this year was not stolen, that Eugene Ionesco Theater has a new head office and that several Moldovan movies won awards at different festivals.
Among the failures of 2009, they enumerated church certain representatives’ intolerance to the national minorities in Moldova and the lack of a bust to Grigore Vieru in Chisinau, given that such busts exist in two Romanian towns.
