Knocking on Europe’s door
The arrival of pro-Europe Maia Sandu in the presidency in December has meant that this small country of only three million people is now looking towards the European Union. Moldova is one of the poorest countries on the continent, with a population undermined by emigration, a very vulnerable economy and high levels of corruption.
Right now some 50% of its citizens are in favour of EU membership, while another 33% are against and prefer to look to Russia, according to the latest opinion polls. Located between Romania and Ukraine, the debate between East and West, between Europe and Russia, is a permanent one in Moldova. For the Kremlin, Moldova is a strategic country, as president Vladimir Putin tries to maintain Russian influence over the former Soviet republics as part of his expansionist policy. Moldova’s attempts to move closer to the EU means that Moscow is selling the country gas at a much higher price than it does Belarus or Serbia.
Yet the EU has not given Moldova many reasons to hope it can join the bloc any time soon, as it demands that the country make a series of sweeping political, economic and judicial reforms. Nevertheless, last summer did see Brussels hand the country an unprecedented 600 million euro economic recovery package as it tries to maintain close ties with the Moldovan authorities in the capital, Chisinau.
