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'Truth about Moldova' from another angle...

Added by GordonAten on Jun 02, 2009 | Visited by 7071 | Voted by 89 persons

This link from the Truthsquare site I am referring to, was sent to me by a Moldovan girlfriend of mine, a sweet and smart lady of the new generation that has recently opposed the incumbent communist regime in Moldova. As I've traveled within the past five years a few times in Romania and in Moldova and talked to both her relatives, simple people from the Moldovan countryside, and to many other people, I've made up my own impressions about the Moldovan events that suddenly 'enjoyed' two articles on the front page of Financial Times within a week: one about the imminent economic collapse of the country's economy and other - about the political side of the events and Romania's role in it. As I am not very well acquainted with the economy of Moldova (though something must be really wrong there, if in the poorest country in Europe prices for food and services and real estate are higher than in many European countries!), I will mostly focus on the Moldo-Russia-Romania issues.



The small Moldova has suddenly got its extreme importance, because of far reaching geopolitical implications in case somehow its status changes. This region is potentially even more dangerous than Yugoslavia, as the recent history has left explosive traces in respect of borders, religious and cultural divisions: Romania has got a big part of Hungarian territories and several millions of Hungarians within, Ukraine has got a piece of Poland and even more questionably and illegally parts of Big Moldova - Southern Bassarabia and Northern Bucovina, Moldova has Transnistria with its separatist pro-Russian sentiments, there is a Moldova region in Romania, which also used to be a part of the big Moldova principality, not far from here there is the Crimean peninsula, which was also given to Ukraine in a doubtful way - you name it. Then, there are disputes between languages and religions. If something explodes on this minefield, the shock-waves of such a change may have a long lasting devastating effect.



It would be logical to assume that if the countries from this region want to preserve peace and stability, no provocative actions or declarations should be undertaken.



So, what and who stands behind the recent unrest in Molodva? The opposition, which definitely had nothing to gain from these provocations? Far from that. A wise man will analyze what has happened in reality and would realize that President Voronin just smartly used these events, about which he undoubtedly had been informed in advance by Putin and Moldovan security services (otherwise that security services have to be dismissed), to successfully discredit the opposition.



Three sides could have gained from the events in Kishinev, had they been more violent and had they led to a forced change of power in Moldova: Romania, Russia and Transnistrian region of Moldova, the latter two having ultimately similar interests. Romania could have finally made a breakthrough in its intentions to get a stronghold in Moldova and 're-uniting' the country, and Russia would have received a 'second Kaliningrad' region in the back of Ukraine, which in its turn also seems like falling apart from economic and political chaos. It means that the events in Moldova was probably a rare case when the interests of the Russian special services coincided with interests of Romanian special services, and since Soviet KGB had a lot of good contacts in socialist Romania, those links have proved to be useful once more.



If that is right, then Russia is playing a dangerous game being lured into a trap, like Afghanistan. Russia now is in pretty bad shape economically and demographically to withstand a shock-wave that might cause fires until the Urals and Far East. Besides, Transnistria is already living on Russia's 'drug needle', being indebted more than a billion of dollars for energy supplies (they say, that Transnistria is getting money from its population for gas, but never pays the gas to Gazprom! - a golden mine for local and Russian mafia!).



As for Romania, this seems to be a more complicated story. Romanian President Basescu's desire to add a big part of Moldova to his country is quite obvious. If a few years ago he openly supported Voronin (in 2005), now he even doesn't try to hide his ambitions to get Moldova. But can it be really done? And should it be done?



Yes, it can and no, it can not. And it shouldn't!



It cannot, because there are no clear historic grounds for this, the question of 'who was first and who was bigger and more important' being quite disputable. While surfing internet about the history of Moldova and history of Romania (for example, Wikipedia), one may notice that actually Moldova has not less rights to consider itself a truly independent and unique state. Especially the last few hundred years have left a huge imprint on Moldova's history, which was quite unfair to this heavenly piece of land with kind, simple and open people. Another specific of Moldova is that it has been populated by many nations, who liked the welcoming people, mild climate and excellent wines and foods: Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, Armenians, Germans, Austrians, Jews, Bulgarians, Turks (Gagauz), the last two having their own regions and wide groups of villages. There were so many Jews in Bessarabia that the Jewish movement Bund was even considering creation of a Jewish land there about 100 years ago (by the way, they say the current Foreign Minsiter of Israel is from Moldova).



And last, but not least, the impact of Russian culture and Russian Orthodox church are so great until now, that ignoring this and making parallels with unification of East and West Germany would be a big mistake.



Some other reasons and considerations make a unification of Moldova and Romania quite impossible nowadays:



Moldovans have a kind of fear that in case they unite with Romania, they will be treated as second class population, and quite often Romanians give grounds to think like that;



The medium and big size businesses are not interested in getting under neighboring state's umbrella. The bigger market is evidently very attractive, but the unification may become a threat to their property and operations, especially in those cases, when this property was acquired by fraud;



Moldovans are mostly those who left the country in search for better life. So, the fate of their country is again in hands of Russian speaking population. After some years of Romanian language revival, now Russian language is becoming again predominant on the streets of Kishinev, in cinemas, etc. Ask someone not in Kishinev, but, say, in Balti, or Cahul, or Comrat, if they consider themselves romanians, and they would just laugh at you. Only a minor part of mostly young students studying in Romania may truly consider themselves Romanians;



Neither Ukraine, nor Europe or Turkey would like to get an even bigger and stronger Romania, which is already a source of many troubles and headaches in the EU.



Thus, when President Voronin so courageously rebuffs President Basescu's and Romania's attacks on Moldova's identity, he proves himself as a well-informed and supported politician. More than that, Voronin's image as a true statesman only gains, especially compared to those 'politicians' who claim that only uniting Moldova with Romania will save the country, who are perceived to be either political losers or traitors (what a true politician wants to come to power to disintegrate his own country?!).



And Yes, it can, because:



Romania has massively given its passports to Moldovans. And though it was more a way for Moldovans to get into Europe without visa, sooner or later this double citizenship may play its role.



During their 10 years in power communists have failed to deliver any sensible rise in living standards, with corruption and economic hardships leading people to believe that their only rescue may be to rapidly become a part of EU through Romania.



During their 10 years in power communists have mostly used force and internal political pressure, completely ignoring not only the importance of building a sustainable and long-lasting democratic system of checks and balances, but also having failed to promote a state policy of national dignity and proud. There are so many talented people in that country, there are so many unique places and products in Moldova - but they failed to simply 'market' it and make Moldovans feel proud of being Moldovans.



That is why the recent events in Moldova not only exposed a huge gap and misunderstanding between old style dogmatic communists (even with a few younger party members on their list, who are blindly and obediently following indications of the old elite), and the new free internet generation, but also showed how far from true democracy and rule of law Moldova is, which in combination with an ailing and deformed economy may bring the country to a collapse and annihilation. To avoid this, communists should review their policy (if at all possible) and start promoting and supporting a new national smart political elite.



And no, Moldova shouldn't unite Romania, because the history and political circumstances have finally given this small beautiful and special nation a unique opportunity to build a state, so why lose it? Because the EU and Romania, Russia and Ukraine - all would only win from having a neutral stable Moldova, which is an ideally located bridgehead for any kind of business between Europe and former Soviet Union. Because a review of borders in this region may not end with reviewing the borders of Moldova only. Isn't it true?