150 villages disappeared between two censuses

The Moldovan village is at the limit of the demographic existence. The inhabitants of villages, those who remained, do not identify themselves by their behavior with the traditions of the Moldovan village, such as handicrafts, customs and manners, including love for land.



Moldova’s demography is endangered by excessive migration. Rural depopulation undermines the durability of the country’s existence and the economic welfare of the whole demographic sector, Valeriu Sainsus, expert in population issues and demography at the Institute for Development and Social Initiative “Viitorul”, stated for IPN. According to him, there is no demographic growth potential in the country and the development of such a strategic sector of the country as agriculture is compromised. The rural population enters the aging quota and this means that the situation could not be modified without economic effort.



Valeriu Sainsus said that 150 villages disappeared in the period between two censuses and the next decade would endanger the whole national rural periphery. The village in the Republic of Moldova during the last century was treated peripherally and the difference between the village and the town became more accentuated. Rural priorities weren’t developed. The rural citizens remained with the problems face to face and their reasons derive from the realities they see in their environment.



According to the expert, rural development policies aimed at meeting the needs of the rural population are strictly needed. The development of transport infrastructure and roads and their linking can stop rural exodus. In the territorial-administrative reform, the towns should cover the needs for services in villages and their quality and this is crucial. The social policies should be immediately stepped up.



Mayor of Feștelița village of Ștefan Vodă district Nicolae Tudoreanu holds his fifth term in office and says that the identity crisis of most of the people in the Republic of Moldova keeps the organization of society hostage. The authorities do not perceive the state as something patriotic and such national symbols as the state anthem and flag do not arouse the feeling of patriotism. “The impression is that everyone is looking for a king who they would obey and from whom they would receive instructions for managing the affairs,” the mayor told IPN.



Nicolae Tudoreanu said the villages are now in a precarious situation as the inhabitants stopped identifying themselves with the traditions of the Moldovan village, such as handicrafts, customs and manners, including love for the land. The young women do the housework, raise the children and wait for money from their husbands who work abroad. The villages can yet become economic growth poles for the small villages, but development policies are needed in this regard. The lack of public services, infrastructure, jobs and the disinterest in the cultivation of land make the people look for something that can be done easier and without much effort. There are yet people who can cope with the faced difficulties.



According to the mayor, Feștelița is a specific village where the people are not pretentious and live rather modestly. Migration didn’t affect the locality. Those who leave the country return home. The mayor’s office found solutions to many of the encountered public problems and the people now live proudly and with pleasure there and try to become involved in the decision-making process, even if many of the accomplishments are not appreciated. Those from outside Feștelița look at things differently.



Ion Dolganiuc, who has served as the mayor of Colibași village of Cahul district for 12 years, said the village in Moldova is the country itself and the country looks like the villages, depending on their development level. The method of distributing finances during the last few years had a great impact. “The villages, the local authorities are fully dependent on funds from the central administration. The localities do not have alternative sources of income and those 15-17% are catastrophically insufficient,” Ion Dolganiuc told IPN.



As to migration, the mayor of Colibași said the mayors are unable to change things and those who manage to do something do huge work. “One can succeed when they are able to mobilize the people and guide them on a common road, when the people become involved in what is done in the community, when one has a common goal, a team of professions. Without a team of professionals, the mayor is like a general without an army,” he stated.



Ion Dolganiuc does not think that something will change in localities as the local authorities of the first level now have over 700 delegated powers, but only 50 of these are supported financially. What keeps the villages afloat is the enthusiasm of the local administration and the people and a solution for breaking the deadlock is to make sure that the local authorities benefit from alternative sources of income from projects. Also, a real and constructive approach is needed to the decentralization strategy. Until the power continues to be focused on the center, not much will be done.