For the Republic of Moldova, there is no other course than European integration, expert Igor Boțan stated in a public debate hosted by IPN. According to him, the country's pro-European orientation is supported both by the results of the referendum held last autumn and by the policies pursued by all the 11 legislatures of Moldova.
Igor Boţan stressed that the results of the referendum on enshrining the European course in the Constitution were influenced by the Russian Federation, which resorted to corrupting voters. This interference by Moscow shows that the decision-making process in the Republic of Moldova is subject to external pressures. Nevertheless, the European course remains the only viable option.
"We have the referendum on European integration as a reference point. I saw that the score was about 50/50. This score was influenced by the Russian Federation’s direct interference through a state bank, which corrupted about 100,000 citizens through bank transfers," said the permanent expert of IPN’s project.
Igor Boţan also commented on the European Union's decision to strengthen its defense capability, saying that it is beneficial but it will have effects in the long run. In democratic states, the decision-making process is extremely slow, which makes such reforms time-consuming.
"In authoritarian states, the leadership can act instantly. It can take any decisions because it controls everything. In democratic states, such as the countries of the European Union, decisions are taken very slowly. The decision-making mechanisms within the European Union are extremely cumbersome. In addition, there are internal forces that speculate on the so-called rearmament plan of the European Union," explained Igor Botan.
The expert reiterated that, despite the external challenges, the Republic of Moldova must continue its European path, with the support of the majority of citizens.
"For the Republic of Moldova, it is very important to promote European integration, based not only on the referendum that narrowly passed, but also on the fact that all the 11 legislatures that the country had promoted the course of European integration, including the Communists, when they were in power. I do not see any other course for the Republic of Moldova than the one adopted since the declaring of Independence," said Igor Boțan.
The public debate entitled "Europe's security at a historic crossroads. What is Moldova's place?" was the 327th edition of the project "Developing political culture through public debates", which is implemented with support from the German Hanns Seidel Foundation.
