Support for Democracy in Moldova

#292

My Dear Friend of Democracy,

I'm traveling through Moldova for a few days.

It is quite cold here in early February in the small country with less than 3 million inhabitants, which lies between Romania and Ukraine.

And heating and electricity are more expensive than ever.

Prices have risen since Russia stopped supplying gas. This has not only provided heat but also electricity.

This issue will determine the upcoming Moldovan parliamentary election that is expected by July.

The country is divided. One half wants to remain close to Russia, the other is leaning towards the European Union.

Pro-Russian politicians promise lower energy prices if the country stick to Russia. Pro-European politicians promise prosperity through integration into the large European internal market. But only in the long term.

What do you think? Which side will win this year’s election?

I hope the answer is not as evident as it seems.

Not least because the European Commission is aware of the situation.

Yesterday, it was announced that the Commission and Moldova signed a two-year strategy for energy independence and resilience, allocating 250 million euros to the country this year. The EU's support for Moldova aims at "decoupling Moldova from the insecurities of Russian energy supply and fully integrating it in the EU energy market," the commission's statement read.

✊ It looks like this summer, Moldovans will have the opportunity to choose not only to keep its still young democracy but also for greater prosperity in the hopefully not-too-distant future.

See you in Democracy,

Johannes