The protest vote of some of the citizens or their distrust either in President Maia Sandu or in the current government managed to influence to some extent the result of the referendum on European integration held last autumn. According to the deputy director of the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE) Mihai Mogâldea, the experience of other countries shows that the support enjoyed by the European integration process is not always fully reflected by the result of the referendum.
Invited to a public debate hosted by mage IPN News Agency, Mihai Mogâldea said that the referendum attracted by 90,000 votes more than the number of votes obtained by Maia Sandu in the first round of voting. Thus, over 6 percent of the citizens who voted YES in the referendum did not vote for President Maia Sandu in the first round of the presidential election.
"There are people who support the European integration and, perhaps, they were not necessarily in favor of holding this referendum, again for various reasons, possibly because someone told them that it would be an initiative meant to increase the President's chances of obtaining a second term, that it would be a political initiative or that it would have nothing to do with the European integration process," said the deputy director of IPRE.
According to Mogâldea, in the Republic of Moldova there is no practice of periodically consulting the people through this exercise and that is why there is a lack of understanding of what is at stake in this referendum on joining the EU. The most important problem is that the message related to the European integration of the Republic of Moldova and the impact of this referendum fail to reach all regions of the country.
"Unfortunately, we have problems in communication with the citizens in different regions, where pro-Russian parties have the most loyal electorate. Here I would note in particular ATU Gagauzia, Taraclia. Sustained efforts of communication, interaction with the citizens, especially on the part of pro-European parties, are needed. A strategy must be thought out because otherwise we will lose them for many years," said the expert.
He noted that where there are tensions amplified by these pro-Russian parties, there is a need for a broader dialogue, going from house to house. These tensions can easily be kept under control through a daily dialogue with people.
The public debate entitled "Image of the EU in the perception of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova" was staged as part of the project "IPN News Agency for Social Cohesion and Pro-European Moldova", funded by the IMS.
