Before the presidential runoff, a question appears as to the choice that should be made: to the European Union by work and reforms or to the Eurasian Union that it’s not clear what it represents now, the standing expert of IPN’s project Igor Boțan said in the public debate “Split society and parallel worlds in elections in Moldova: causes and effects” that was staged by IPN. According to him, a hope appeared in Moldovan society when the whole Parliament adopted the declaration on the European integration of Moldova. This confirms that a national consensus existed then and continued until 2014, when a political party that is now ruling said that it wants the Association Agreement to be scrapped and the country should join the Eurasian Union. The split in society reappeared then.
According to Igor Boțan, there are people in society who insist on the geopolitical dimension and consider it the most important form of Moldova’s foreign policy. Given such a conjuncture, Moldova became an associate of the EU. Moldova and the EU say they have political association and economic integration and this led to the imposition of a ban by Russia in 2013 on the pretext that Moldova, after signing the Free Trade Agreement with the EU, can undermine Russia’s economic security.
According to the expert, Moldova’s foreign trade with the Russian Federation is at the level of tens. The ban on Moldova was imposed in response to the choice made by our country. An alternative political option appeared immediately – the annulment of the Association Agreement with the EU so as to join the Eurasian Union. During six years, Moldova has oscillated between the two courses and there are no prospects of solving this dilemma. The EU demands to fulfill the provisions of the Association Agreement, while the Eurasian Union goes through a difficult period given the situation in Belarus, Armenia, Kirgizstan and also in Russia that practically does not have allies in the world and is under embargoes.
In another development, Igor Boțan said unionism is an absolutely legitimate and even legal current as Article 142 of the Constitution is the gate that allowed the unionist parties to act legally and not to hide. This was due to Vitalia Pavlichenko who won a case at the Supreme Court of Justice and the registration of unionist parties was allowed as a result.
According to the expert, on March 17, 2014, the President of Romania Traian Băsescu said “Romania cannot assume the union with the Republic of Moldova. This is possible within the OSCE only if the citizens of the Republic of Moldova reach a point when they will become primarily unionists”. The borders can be modified only if the EU, which includes Romania, accepts, while NATO solves the security problems of the member states, including Romania. An important issue that the Romanian politicians could not solve was the introduction of the clause on the union in Romania’s Constitution.
Igor Boțan noted that the people left Moldova because they live badly here. Initially, they went to Russia because it is closer to Moldova from cultural, linguistic and other viewpoints. “In the campaign of 2016, President Igor Dodon said there are 700,000 citizens in the Russian Federation and he would solve the problems of these persons. Now the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration says there are 400,000 Moldovans in Russia. This means that 300,000 Moldovans left the Russian Federation. Where did they go? It is not known. One thing is definite: the diaspora in the Russian Federation voted not for Igor Dodon, but for Renato Usatyi,” he stated.
The debate “Split society and parallel worlds in elections in Moldova: causes and effects” was the eighth installment of the series “We and the President: Who elects who, who represents who” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
