The outcome of the last elections showed that the Moldovans chose the European development model, PAS MP Virgiliu Pâslariuc, doctor of history, stated in a public debate hosted by IPN. According to him, the European development path is a guarantee of security and prosperity for the Republic of Moldova.

The MP noted that the Russian military invasion of Ukraine shows that Vladimir Putin aims to restore the Soviet Union and to bring back all the union republics under the sphere of influence of the Kremlin. Not only Ukraine struggles for its independence and sovereignty, but also the Republic of Moldova.

“Russia never resigned itself to losing territories. Today many wonder why Gorbachev didn’t use the army to stop the republics from leaving the Soviet it Union. Putin does this now, in 30 years. The invasion of Ukraine is what Gorbachev feared to do. It is an attempt to restore the Soviet Union by force. That’s why we are fighting an Independence war now as it had been put off. Now, in 30 years, we have consensus in society – that the European integration model is the only one that can save us, primarily now that we see what is happening in Russia and when the alternative path shows its limits and dangers. What can Russia offer now? Everyone realizes that Russia started a war that leads to its fall,” stated Virgiliu Pâslariuc.

According to the PAS MP, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova firmly chose the European development model in the last presidential and snap parliamentary elections and the current government was mandated to achieve the European integration desideratum as swiftly as possible.

“The Republic of Moldova submitted the application for EU membership very late. We had such an occasion in the 1990s, but wasted it. Later, in the 2000s, owing to the declared pro-European alliances that dealt with other things, we missed this chance once again. Now, in 30 years, it’s time to do what Romania did at the start of the 2000s.  This development model is a guarantee of security and prosperity for our people,” explained the MP.

He noted that Moldova is engaged in a complex geopolitical war and it should remain part of the free world throughout this war. The accession to the European space of values and the implementation of the European legislation will ensure Moldova’s security and prosperity.

“The Republic of Moldova is a splinter in the big powers’ fight for this space, for the Danube region that is a geostrategic area. Our identity problem is not the ethnic-linguistic one. It is the geopolitical one. What direction do we follow? What system of values do we accept? The Baltic States and Romania decided such issues. In our country, over 1 million people have Romanian nationality, which is they have EU passports and are Europeans. The decisions taken in the last elections show that earlier society balanced between the West and the East, but now it chose the European model. The European model also means borrowing of European practices. We will implement the Community acquis that will establish European rules of the game and these will enable our institutions to become viable,” said the doctor of history.

The public debate entitled “Price and effects of Independence. Comparative study (1877 vs. 1991)” was the 17th installment of IPN’s project “Impact of the Past on Confidence and Peace Building Processes” which is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.