Dodon and European integrators

In Moldova, on October 30, the president of the country is chosen. For the first time in two decades, citizens do this: thanks to the recent decision of the Constitutional Court, direct elections were restored. Prior to this, since 2000, the head of state chose the parliament. The current vote is considered as a choice between the Western and Eastern orientation of Moldova - to the European Union or to Russia. However, for Moldavian policy, such a choice is traditional, and on the eve of each election about it is said again and again.

Although the powers of the President of the Republic of Moldova are quite small and include primarily ceremonial-representative functions, the struggle for this post unfolded serious. After the removal for various reasons, several candidates remain participants in the presidential race. As the most probable winners-apparently in the second round, since in the first it is unlikely that one of the applicants will gain more than half the votes-they call the leader of the socialist party, the pro-Russian politician Igor Dodon and the most popular representative of the pro-European camp, the ex-minister of education, the leader of the party and solidarity Maya Sandu .

The vicissitudes of Moldova’s relations in recent years both with the EU (especially with the neighboring ethnically and culturally close romania), and with Russia have noticeably reflected in the course of the election campaign. The ruling lawntric coalition, which proclaimed in the last decade the course on the rapid integration of Moldova into Europe several times changed its composition and lost most of the popularity due to corruption scandals. The most loud of them erupted after it became known that in 2014, a billion euros were stolen from the poor budget of Moldova - subsequently this money was “washed” through banks in a number of countries, including the Baltic states.

Moldovans took to the streets , but their protests did not have serious political consequences. Nevertheless, Igor Dodon actively plays the accumulated discontent, promising that friendship with Russia will instantly bring Moldova the social world and prosperity, and the candidate of the populist “our party” Dmitry Chubashenko, who stands the mysterious figure of the businessman and the politician Renato Usati , who is suspected of relations with semi -criminal structures as in Moldova In Russia. However, business and policy in Moldova are closely intertwined on both political flanks. Thus, the leader of the Democratic Party, Marian Lupa, is connected with another influential entrepreneur - Vladimir Plahotnyuk, who has business contacts both in the EU and in Russia. (True, three days before the election, Lupa took off his candidacy in favor of Maya Sandu).

The people are misleading, as if the popularly elected president will automatically become the father of the nation

It is characteristic that in these elections the once popular topic of the prospects of uniting Moldova and Romania practically did not rise. Although a significant part of the inhabitants of the three millionth Republic of Moldova (according to some estimates, more than half a million people) acquired Romanian citizenship, the border between the two countries that speak the same language, in the foreseeable future, most likely will not disappear anywhere. The most famous supporter of the association with Romania, the leader of the liberal party, Mikhai Gimp , who also claims the presidency in this election, according to polls, uses only 1 percent of voters.

On the situation in Moldova on the eve of the Radio Radio, Freedom was told by journalist and political analyst Vasile Botnara (Chisinau).

- What is the main reason that after 16 years in Moldova it was decided to restore direct presidential elections?

- The parliament released steam - this is obvious. On the other hand, the parliament consciously made this choice, because he again ended up in a stand -up situation, in which he once stayed when choosing the current president . They could not agree, even buying the votes of deputies no longer works. Therefore, they decided to give this right to the people, remembering that we are talking about the parliamentary republic. Whatever the president comes to the place of the current, he will still remain within the framework of those powers that are determined by the Constitution. The dominant position of the parliament with its ruling majority will give them the opportunity to restrain even such a "too authorized by the people" of the president. And the people who have received this right, unfortunately, are misleading that the popularly elected president will automatically become the father of the nation and will solve all issues from the search for those who stole this famous billion, and ending with the improvement of a village.

- Thus, are the foundations for the future conflict are not laid? If the new president and parliament have different views on some problems, then the president can say: my legitimacy is no worse than yours, I am directly chosen by the people. There is no problem for the future?

- One candidate is already talking about this, referring to the deputies that when I was elected, there will be legitimacy above yours, and you are nobody at all, because the parliament was not too legally elected, because in this campaign the previous one was excluded by the court’s decision, which had a chance to get into parliament. This candidate, his name is Dmitry Chubashenko, from the "Our Party", is a very cunning name, he says: the first decree of the parliament will be my first decree. He builds his campaign on this: give a voice for the first decree on the dissolution of the parliament. But, of course, when he, for example, will be elected, he will come to the Constitutional Court, to the government, to the parliament and say: guys, take your things. And they will answer him: you look at the articles of the Constitution, what are you actually authorized there to resolve issues.

- What are the election ratings a couple of days before the election? Will anyone win the first round?

Those who posted the European banner, stole and compromised this development vector themselves

- To begin with, it is very difficult to measure these ratings quite reliably. If you take the trends of various measurements, then in the first place the one who advocates an easy departure from Euroorientation is a socialist Igor Dodon, who allegedly likes Moscow and in every possible way emphasizes this love for it. He really hopes to take the voices of all those who hoped for Russia love the eastern vector, who is disappointed in Europe. Because those who posted the European banner, stole and compromised this vector of development in the eyes of citizens. On this, in fact, the rating of Dodon is being built: they say, let's throw these thieves. The same slogan is Dmitry Chubashenko.

On the other hand, in second place immediately after Igor Dodon are the right, who advocate European integration. Marian Lupa urged his supporters to vote for Maya Sandu, who not so much puts forward the European integration slogan as he calls to fight with those who compromised European integration. Lupa, as it were, gives preference to his rival, since only she can defeat another opponent, more serious, in the person of Dodon. But Maya Sandu herself says that she does not need this “poisoned apple”, because, as she said, in fact, those competitors who are preferred in words, hope that real voices will fall into the basket of a socialist Dodon. Here is such a complex multi -income. The voter is put in a difficult situation. But there is no thin one without good, he will finally vote with his head, and not just with stomach.

-From your story, I realized that the main problem of Moldovan society, which has existed for many years, is still evident - this is a choice between the further ways of the country's development, where to focus on the West or east. Is this problem whose solutions are not visible in the foreseeable future?

- Unfortunately, this geopolitical dilemma was present in all the last elections. If we talk about Euroorientation, then it now has fewer supporters than even with communists, if you can imagine this. Because the communist Voronin , the president, advocated the presence of both in the eastern zone and in the western, so that like a smart calf to eat from different mothers. Then there was a very high rating of European integration, more than 70 percent. And now allegedly equally equally "Euro -integrators" and "easternists". But European integration was compromised by the fact that the representatives of the power of this course, unfortunately, were very far from what they promise, from the spirit of the agreements that they signed with the Europeans.

First of all, we are talking about corruption, about theft, about the judicial system that will not recover from the famous cases to launder billions of dollars and euros ... Then there was frank theft, distributed the so -called toxic loans, which the shareholders and people close to them took away, led to offshores. After that, a huge hole in the banking sector had to be filled out of budget funds, moreover, more than once. As a result, the people have a natural question: what kind of European integration is this, if in practice we do not live better, but, on the contrary, worse than under the Communists? Socialists, of course, have now picked up this slogan: let's unfold in the eastern direction.

Socialists have now picked up this slogan: let's unfold in the eastern direction

But the future president-socialist, if he becomes him, perfectly understands that he will not be able to immediately deploy this train, because there are obligations in relation to Western countries. The International Monetary Fund should sign a protocol with the Moldavian government, and some money will go, which the country is literally needed as a lifebuoy. Therefore, the president, even if he announces that he changes the course of the course, in practice will not be able to do this because of the opposition of the parliament, since the president himself is limited in his powers. And if he calls for his supporters to go to the square, then the clashes that we already had in Moldova may seem like a childish babble. I hope we will avoid these prospects.