Two countries between two sets of values – DAGP journey to Romania and Moldova

In May, shortly before the run-off election for the Romanian presidency, I traveled to Romania and Moldova with a group from the German Society on Foreign Relations (DGAP). It was up-close and personal political education in crucial times. Romania, a country that is already a member of the EU, was about to elect a new president.

It is now clear that the pro-European candidate Nicusor Dan has won the run-off election against his radical right-wing opponent George Simion. What is happening in Romania is not insignificant for neighboring Moldova. The small country has been a candidate for EU membership since December 2024. Surrounded by countries in exceptional situations, above all Ukraine, the result in Romania strengthens the supporters of pro-European politics in Moldova, at least morally.

COMPLETELY DIFFERENT VALUE SYSTEMS

The talks and discussions on the extremely interesting trip were very informative and controversial. The countries are influenced by two completely different sets of values – those of Europe and Russia. We were also able to visit the autonomous republic of Gagauzia. It only has around 180,000 inhabitants and is firmly at odds with Chișinău, the capital of Moldova. This also applies to Transnistria, which is closely linked to Russia. Only part of our group traveled there – the advice from the Federal Foreign Office was clear not to do so. In addition, the DAGP is banned there as a non-governmental organization.

Both countries are very military-heavy, which is perhaps nothing special for many countries, but is striking for us Europeans. This can probably be explained by the constant sense of threat – the decades of the Soviet Union and the Romanian Ceaușescu dictatorship have left their mark. Among other things, we visited a history museum in Moldova, and I would have liked to see a more critical approach to the Soviet era in the exhibition.

Economically, Russia’s war in Ukraine is hitting Moldova particularly hard, as the most important port for Moldova has always been Odessa. However, it is currently inaccessible, so traders have to travel to the Romanian port of Constanta, which is twice as far away, to export their goods.

Of the approximately 2.4 million inhabitants of Moldova, around 1 million have a Romanian passport and are therefore de facto citizens of the EU. Many Moldovans also work in the EU, which is very committed to the country. For example, it provides large sums of money for the construction of water and sewage infrastructure as well as cultural programs. The Moldovan government is also trying to implement many of the EU’s demands for accession and is already quite far along. It would like to conclude the negotiations by 2028.

MOLDOVA – ENERGY AND HOUSING VIRTUALLY UNAFFORDABLE

Parliamentary elections will be held in Moldova on September 23. It is unclear whether a pro-European government will be formed there again. There is great dissatisfaction among the population, as inflation is high and energy prices have risen enormously. In fact, energy is not only very expensive in relation to local incomes, but even in comparison to Germany. While the conversion of the energy system to a decentralized supply with renewables is slowly making us less dependent on the world market, Moldova, for example, has to buy fossil energy from exactly there – and is only a small buyer with high prices.

The average income in Moldova is only between 300 and 1000 euros. A pension is only around 110 euros. In contrast, apartments are now extremely expensive. A one-room apartment costs up to 500 euros. This means that many people in Moldova are dependent on the cash flows of their relatives in other European countries and many pensioners have to work.

As in Poland, where a pro-Russian president has just won the election with a wafer-thin majority, people in Romania and Moldova are also struggling with the question of which set of values should be theirs in the future. It is difficult for me to understand why, despite all the dissatisfaction, there is a tendency to want to exchange a world with freedom of travel and freedom of expression, with a diversity of cultures and a democratic, cooperative political system for oppression and a nation state. We should not tire of defending European values – a free life is at stake.