The interest and obligation of the Moldovans who left home are not to transmit geopolitical messages, but to lay emphasis on the power they have by exercising the right to vote, by modeling the decision-making process in the country. The interest of those from the diaspora should be the assurance that those who are in power will manage the public property in favor of the citizens, either they are in the Republic of Moldova or abroad, said Dorina Baltag, researcher in EU foreign policy and diplomacy at the London Institute for Diplomacy and International Governance, who founded the community of Moldovans “Noroc Olanda”.
In IPN’s public debate, Dorina Baltag said the Moldovans who form part of migration are actually development players in the host country and also in the native country. “My team each year raises funds. This year, two trucks will go to the Republic of Moldova to take necessary devices to national hospitals, not only in Chisinau, but also in regions. This is only an example for signaling that the public policies at home are not implemented as they should be. To my mind, the diaspora should concentrate its efforts on transmitting such messages so that the politicians keep their word. What is the problem? What is the solution? We should ensure that these policies are implemented?” stated the expert.
She noted that after analyzing the results of the participation in election and the message of the eight candidates, she noticed that the standard tendency of a pro-European vote and a pro-Russian vote in Moldova persists.
The interpretation of the international players’ message intended for the Moldovan authorities and voters depends on the profile of the persons from the diaspora. There are persons who are not informed and who are not interested in being informed and the image transfer for them counts more. For example, a picture of President Dodon together with President Putin can have a bigger weight than the whole financial assistance received by Moldova from the EU based on the Association Agreement at a time when there is no financial assistance coming from Russia. Civil society should decipher these messages and simplify them so as to simplify the message and show the advantages and opportunities enjoyed on the chosen path.
In the same electoral context, Dorina Baltag noted that the European players lay considerable emphasis on the guaranteeing of transparency in party funding in Moldova. “I think this is information that I, as the citizen of the Republic of Moldova should possess, either I live in Moldova or abroad. This helps a citizen to understand the hidden processes and what support a particular party enjoys. I think misinformation and propaganda are the shortcomings of all the players, either in Moldova or in the EU, and all the players, the politicians and civil society, should combine efforts to counteract this wave of fake news that are definitely felt during elections,” she stated.
The researcher also raised the issue of elections in the Transnistrian region. “I think here, as in the diaspora, we can inform ourselves about the role of the diaspora as a result of the elections and what is the role of the vote in Transnistria, how many frauds are committed on that territory during the electoral period,” added Dorina Baltag.
The public debate “Presidential elections in the diaspora and geopolitics” was the 156th installment of the series “Developing political culture through public debates” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
