The Moldovans with Romanian nationality in the parliamentary elections of Romania will vote differently. However, the emotional component is rather strong as the people who during many years are attached to Romania feel somehow disfavored in the Republic of Moldova and this generates an emotional wave that makes them sometimes abandon reason in favor of emotions, political analyst Anatol Țăranu stated in IPN’s public debate “Parliamentary elections in Romania: what Moldovans with Romanian nationality know about them and what they vote?”.
“Mister Băsescu’s party this time could be less adhesive for the Moldovan Romanians in the Republic of Moldova for the simple reason that some of the feelings fade away in time and become less palpable and vibrant. Secondly, particular moves were made that not always favor the vote. Băsescu at the opportune moment missed the chance of becoming the unifier of all the pro-Romanian unionist forces in the Republic of Moldova when one political party was attached, the PUN, whose president of honor he is. This way, he somehow favored the continuation of this state of division of the unionist forces in the Republic of Moldova. What’s interesting is that one more very active party appeared on the Romanian unionist segment, AUR. No one can say now what its chances are, but this party speaks emphatically about Bessarabia’s union with Romania,” said Anatol Țăranu.
He specified that there are 30 polling stations for the Romanian elections in Moldova and these can potentially cover 90,000 voters, if there is an intensive flow. There are about 1 million Moldovans with Romanian passports. It is very hard to estimate who of the holders of Romanian passions have conscience of Romanian identity. These could represent 30% of the voters in Moldova who in sociological polls are shown as persons who accept Moldova’s union withy Romania. This would be one third of the holders of Romanian passports. Given that about 100,000 people could take part in the vote, only one third of the Romanian Moldovans with Romanian conscience could cast their ballots. However, as the elections are held during two days, the figure could rise.
Asked why voting at the parliamentary elections in Romania can last for two days, while at the presidential elections in Moldova this wasn’t possible, Anatol Țăranu argued that Romania is an EU member state and the democratic procedures there are clearly superior than those in Moldova. The political class in Moldova does not have those restrictions and limitations that must be taken into account by the Romanian political class.
The analyst considers the Romanians in Moldova who vote in Romania’s elections are the most elevated part of the Romanian voters in Bessarabia, but the electoral activism of these voters is somehow affected by the fact that the Romanian parties do not campaign in Bessarabia. “To my mind, the Romanian voters, with all the existing reservations and limitations, are one step ahead in terms of the political culture than the Moldovan voters. The deviations there, including those related to the corruption component in politics, are punished by the voters much harsher than in the Republic of Moldova. The Moldovan voters do not perceive the corruption component so powerfully than the Romanian ones and they can be much easier lured by empty promises than the Romanian electors.”
The public debate “Parliamentary elections in Romania: what Moldovans with Romanian nationality know about them and what they vote?” was the 160th installment of the series “Developing political culture through public debates” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
