President Igor Dodon flew to Moscow again to meet with Vladimir Putin. The support of the Russian president should help the Party of Socialists of Moldova to win the election. Vlad Plahotniuc is also striving to retain power. To this end, his Democratic Party comes up with a variety of election campaign tricks and promises a bright future for the Moldovan people.
Many still believe that elections can drastically change life in the country. But is it true? Three simple questions help us to understand.
Where is the country going?
On October 21, the Democratic Party presented a so-called Commitmentat a rally in the center of Chisinau. According to the plan, this document will become the cornerstone of the Democrats’election campaign. But even todaythe Moldovan government is controlled by the PDM, and if the “commitment” is a prototype of the development program for the whole of Moldova, then why is it not implemented yet?
However, at the rally, Democrats’ leader Vlad Plahotniuc went even further. The oligarch and the de facto ruler of Moldova declared a desire to create a “state doctrine” in the country, based on the pro-Moldova policy, which the PDMofficially professes since September. The essence of this novelty of the Moldovan ideology is “to face the people”. Democrats say: before, everyone told Moldova how to live and where to go, and behind these arguments they forgot about the interests of the people. After 27 years of independence, it is time to remember them.
What does the current government offer the people? Impressively generousprograms “Good roads”, “First house”, and now guaranteed and unprecedented growth of salaries of public sector employees from January 2019. Who will pay for these projects and why they appeared right before the elections is a good question, but what is more important: have not citizens of the country deserved roads, houses and decent salaries since 2009? After all, the victory of the progressive pro-European forces in Moldova was meant to launch total modernization, which after 9 years would definitely lead the country to a qualitatively new standard of living.
Apparently, the Moldovan state has never had any development strategy – there are only momentary promises of a happy life, which are usually forgotten after another election. We can assume that Brusselshas caredmoreabout the future of Moldova in recent years, when they recommended the authorities to carry out reforms and allocated the necessary funding for them. And by 2019, they stopped this funding because the money was spent and the European future did not even come closer.
May the opponents of the government – the Socialist Party– have a plan for the Moldova’sdevelopment? On November 18, they are going to protest in the center of Chisinau and present the party’s strategy until February 24, 2019 at the rally.
Party’s, but again not country’s.
Who is fighting for power?
Democratic elections mean competition: it is believed that citizens should vote not for specific people, but for political programs of parties. Elections are an act through which society delegates to politicians the right to carry out its reform program in the country. Who the people of Moldova will be able to delegate such powers to in 2019?
Socialists, democrats, PLDM, liberals, communists, European People’s Party of Leanca, PAS, DA and Renato Usatii’s party are competing for parliamentary seats.
The communists of Vladimir Voronin had power in Moldova until 2009. The PLDM was once the leading party of the pro-European coalition, and its former leader and former prime minister of Moldova, Vlad Filat, is serving a prison sentence. Leanca was the prime minister and the liberal Ghimpuacted as president.
Political analysts and experts predict that the main struggle for seats in parliament will unfold between the PDM and PSRM. Their leaders — Dodon and Plahotniuc — come from the Communist Party. Plahotniuc, the “coordinator”, has led the current government for many years. Igor Dodon is president since 2016, and the PSRM faction in parliament is the most numerous.
It is easy to guess that well-known figures and parties that have directly or indirectly ruled the country for many years will fight for seats in parliament. Should we expect that people who have long found themselves in power and sophisticated in the traditions of Moldovan politics will offer a new way of country’s development?
Everyone will answer this question for themselves. Anyway, in February 2019, Moldova will face a fierce battle and not everyone will come out ‘alive’. Perhaps the election campaign will serve as a motive for the winners to build a new world in Moldova.
Who is the future of Moldova?
Imagine that a miracle happened and the ideal political party and ideal president were in power in Moldova. To whom should they direct their creative energy?
The reality is that the years of crisis and uncertainty struck Moldovan society. There are practically no people left in the country who had not faced injustice. Pensioners suffer from low pensions, young people from lack of prospects, middle-aged people from low salaries and unacceptable living standards.
The authorities promise a rise in public sector salaries from the new year. But what about those who provide up to 30% of Moldova’s GDP with their work abroad? According to unofficial data, their number exceeds 600 thousand people. Their families are divided, their children have not seen their parents for years. Their country does nothing to bring them home.
The socio-economic situation in present-day Moldova is such that each of its problems is critical, and there are neither financial nor human capabilities to solve everything at once. Any power in the country will take years to at least stop the negative trends and keep the situation in the country at the current level.
The fact is that the elections do not guarantee Moldova a bright future – and this is a good reason to carefully consider the promises of politicians. The people have a chance not to be deceived, and this chance should be used. 
