“The presidential candidates and other campaigners that are against the referendum on Moldova’s accession to the EU demonstrate that they are against a better life for the country’s citizens”, declared commentator Petru Zastavnițchi during a press conference on Wednesday.

Zastavnițchi called on voters not to believe the narrative that Moldova will lose its sovereignty if it joins the European Union. As virtually every family has relatives abroad, he suggested they ask members of the Moldovan diaspora what life is like in those countries. He believes that if the referendum fails, this will be a “major step backwards” and the chance to join the European family will be diminished.

Established for already 24 years in the EU, Petru Zastavnițchi can say that Moldova will only stand to gain if it joins the EU. Being politically unaffiliated, he believes that this referendum will benefit the citizens first of all, rather than any particular party.

“The Kremlin, together with pro-Russian elements in Moldova, are paying millions of euros to organize diversions, to launch lies in the public space, so as to prevent Moldova from joining the EU. The Kremlin’s interest is geopolitical (…) to keep Moldova under control”, added Petru Zastavnițchi.

He also criticized the involvement of clerics in promoting the pro-Russian narratives and believes that the government should step in to sanction such actions if the Moldovan Church leaders fail to curb them.