A Glimmer of Success in Miserable Moldova

Maia Sandu, Moldova's new president, has cleverly positioned her new government as being in thrall neither to Moscow nor to Brussels.

Reason's December special issue marks the 30th anniversary of the collapse of the Soviet Union. This story is part of our exploration of the global legacy of that evil empire, and our effort to be certain that the dire consequences of communism are not forgotten.

If you have ever heard of Moldova and you are not Romanian or Russian, chances are near certain that it was as the country of origin of an earwormy 2004 Eurodance global No. 1 song whose Romanian-language chorus, made most famous by a viral, fish-mouthed lip-synching YouTuber, sounded something like "numa numa yay."

If you think you've heard of Moldova, but maybe not quite with that spelling, you might well be remembering the fictional post-communist country of Molvanîa, whose motto in pre-Borat guidebooks and a comical Web 1.0 website was "a land untouched by modern dentistry."

Alas for the really-existing post-Soviet republic, Moldova has been no laughing matter these past three decades. A landlocked clump between troubled Romania and Ukraine, it suffers from the historical subjugations all too common among small East-Central European nations. Independent Moldova was confronted from the get-go with a deadly skirmish over the breakaway pro-Soviet republic of Transnistria, a region that retains some sovereignty to this day.

With a per-capita income of under $5,000 per year, Moldova is the second-poorest country in Europe, behind miserable Belarus and just ahead of war-torn Ukraine. Corruption has been epic even by Balkan levels. Population since the fall of the USSR has shrunk by one-third, to 3.5 million, the worst demographic decline on the continent. Russian meddling in this "near abroad" has been so extensive that the Council of Europe for most of the past decade referred to Moldova as a "captive state."

Yet somehow, miraculously, Moldova might have a shot at being the belle of the ball rather than the butt of the joke.

On July 11, after eight months without a government, Moldovans elected by a landslide (53 percent to 27 percent) a reformist, anti-corruption party headed by 49-year-old Harvard-educated World Bank economist Maia Sandu. The Washington Post editorial page described the vote as "a crushing victory over pro-Russian parties that had dominated Moldova's politics for most of the past 30 years."

Post-communist Europe is littered with premature Western raves for ostensibly reform-minded politicians, so caution is advisable. But Sandu has already been clever in sidestepping incendiary geopolitics by positioning her new government as being in thrall neither to Moscow nor to Brussels (nor to Bucharest, for that matter), without needlessly inflaming any overly interested party.

Moldova, like most theoretically eligible countries, is seeking membership in the European Union. But for the moment, this historically woeful nation is being helmed by someone who at least rhetorically champions liberal democracy, a market economy, and the rule of law instead of oligarchs. If it can happen here, maybe it can happen anywhere.

"I hope that today will be the end of a difficult era for Moldova," Sandu said on election night. "I hope that today will be an end to the rule of thieves."

Comments

[kcuch]

"I hope that today will be an end to the rule of thieves."

Every policy needed to accomplish that will require and enable theft.

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[OpenBordersLiberal-tarian]

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#ImmigrationAboveAll

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[Chumby]

Mulțumesc Matt. Cred este bun.

[Jerryskids]

Moldovans elected by a landslide (53 percent to 27 percent) a reformist, anti-corruption party headed by 49-year-old Harvard-educated World Bank economist Maia Sandu.

It was fine while it lasted, but they're fucked now. What you should have elected was a Clay County Technical School-educated plumber for the job. Or a high-school dropout who cuts lawns for a living. Literally anybody but a Harvard-educated theoretician who works for a globalist bureaucracy.

[PaulaFox]

Hi) My name is Paula, I'm 24 years old)

[PaulaFox]

http://xurl.es/id255032

[Ragnarredbeard]

Sandu is fucked. She'll fight the good fight for a year or so and then get pushed out a window.

[PaulaFox]

http://xurl.es/id378955

[Chumby]

Have you heard about the European nation of Transnistria? No? Not surprising because it does not exist! Please follow along. This is complicated.

Transnistria is a piece of land located between Ukraine to the east and the Dnister River to the west; Moldova is on the other bank of the river. Transnistria is not large. About a half million people live in an area smaller than Delaware. Transnistria is internationally recognized as still being part of Moldova. But within the Transnistrian border, it sees itself as its own country. How could there be a country within a country? This is complicated.

During the early part of the previous century, the area changed administration under several autonomous soviet socialist republics. Following the Second World War, it became part of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic - one of the fifteen republics in the Soviet Union. Things were relatively stable until the late 1980s.

The fall of the Iron Curtain paved the way for Moldova to declare its independence from the Soviet Union and Transnistria was pulled out with it. There was a belief at the time that Moldova would join Romania. For many Transnistrians, the majority of whom are Slavic, this was undesirable. The situation then got more complicated.

Fearing incorporation into Romania, Transnistria seceded from Moldova and conflict ensued. Moldova, with assistance from neighboring Romania, looked to keep the region as part of its land. Russia along with Ukrainian volunteers aided the independent Transnistrian forces in their efforts to successfully break away.

Things came to a head in the early 1990s when skirmishes broke out between the two factions. A ceasefire was eventually made but not before hundreds were killed with many more injured. The wounds are still open. Russia and Moldova both have a military presence there to prevent further hostilities.

Being ruled by the Soviet Union had kept cultural differences in check. Perhaps not dissimilar to what socialist rule in Yugoslavia did prior to its dissolution and subsequent ethnic wars. But the Soviet Union is gone now. An uneasy peace currently exists there as tensions persist. It is complicated.

During a recent vacation to the region, graffiti in the Black Sea town of Constanta read, “Basarabia este România.” This translates to, “Moldova is a part of Romania.” This too is complicated. Moldova had a path to join their Romanian brethren after they left the Soviet Union. They were once part of the Kingdom of Romania. These two nations share a common language and some cultural identity. A union between them made sense. Instead, Moldova has chosen to remain an independent nation. Romanians that bleed blue, yellow and red may echo the words spray painted on that bridge in Constanta. Wiser ancestors of Stefan the Great accept that Moldovans should choose their own path forward. Though they carry a nostalgic hope that one day, maybe, they will again all sit at the same table. You ask, “But what about Transnistria? They were never part of Bessarabia!” You are correct. They are Russian. Ukrainian. And yes, Moldovan. Yet they are also none of those. They have their own currency. They issue their own passports. And they use a Cyrillic version of the Romanian language instead of the traditional Latin. It should be added that Russian is also used. Their flag bears the hammer and sickle. Perhaps the best description is that Transnistria is still part of the Soviet Union. Yet that too does not exist!

Should someone ever ask you, “What is Transnistria?” You can tell them, “This is complicated.”

[Eeyore]

You gotta live a one dollar coin that has more in common with a poker chip.

[Claptrap]

It's also essentially run by a old-West-themed monopoly conglomerate. Interesting place.

[The Encogitationer]

So Westworld East, amirite? Whoever lets an outfit like this run their country without trying to create or import competition is "sloppy with a drink" and "needs his Ma-Ma!"

[The Encogitationer]

Westworld Yul Brenner "Sl9ppy with ya drink!"
https://dai.ly/x2rsmd7

[The Encogitationer]

I never caught whether you were fer 'em or agin' 'em. "Interesting place" could mean the same as the Chinese "Interesting Times." And from reading it's Wiki page, it doesn't sound too good for libertarians.

[Chumby]

The same as my Romanian friends feel about Moldova: it is up to them to decide. And I hope they can do so peacefully moving forward.

A Russian friend just introduced me to Leopold the cat, who often says, “ Guys, let's live together.”

[The Encogitationer]

I'm not sure an alleged talkng feline is a valid guide for human policy. Tell me, did this Russian also supply you with Absinthe, to "make the heart grow fonder?"

[Chumby]

She’s in Moscow and I’m not.

Leopold came up in conversation about Sting’s song, Russians. Which according to Sting, was inspired when he saw a pirated signal of a Soviet cartoon. He remarked how much care they took into creating it and came to the conclusion that the Russians do love their children (against what MSM may have been broadly suggesting at the time). Nobody knew which cartoon. She suggested it was Leopold.

[perlhaqr]

I have heard of Transnistria! But that's because the company I was driving for is owned and staffed primarily by Moldovans, and so I read the Wikipedia article about the place and wandered down the rabbit hole into the bits about that conflict.

I'm generally of the position that if there's a contiguous chunk of real estate, and the vast majority of the people there want to be an independent political entity, they should generally be allowed to.

But that's a pretty vague standard, I have to admit. I don't know where the precise lines would be. Certainly, "something as large as even a small US state, and 100% of the population" would be on the other side of it, but "a place the size of Gibraltar and 50.1% of the population" would not be.

Possibly 95% would still be in the field for peaceful departure, though requiring them to allow the dissenting 5% to retain dual citizenship, or in the case of reasonable geographic continuity, opt out of the secession, would seem a reasonable demand in exchange for peaceable separation.

But I also have to admit that my personal philosophical leanings bias me against entities demanding to remain in control of people who don't want to be subject to them any longer. Frankly it reminds me of an abusive lover who threatens to kill their partner if they try to leave them.

[Chumby]

Still working on the Romania article. A few more paragraphs and a review.

[Don't look at me!]

I wonder if the gas company there pays consultants well.

[Roberta]

A landlocked clumb

How the fuck did Ukraine snatch that part of the Black Sea coast all the way from the Dnister's bay to the Danube's outlet? I always thought that was part of Moldavia until I saw the above and checked Google Maps.

[Eeyore]

I thought it was a gift from the soviet union.

[rreally]

Odessa is the major port there. Remember it wasn't clear Moldova was going to be independent and not part of Romania until the fall of the Soviet Union. Romania has ports, and seaport planning going back centuries didn't envision an independent Moldova.

It's like Ethiopia and Eritrea, with less war.

[Roberta]

Darn, why have I become so suspicious of HyR that I form a reaction against all their articles now? Do I have Reason Derangement Syndrome?

Seems to me HyR now tilts more against Russia than is reasonable, and is pro-EU more than is reasonable. Am I wrong? Is it RDS?

[Just Say'n]

They did behave like mentally challenged John Birchers for five years over a baseless conspiracy that only progressive partisans believed. They even had a front page article about essentially sanctioning Russia for lolz, which made literally no sense. So, I think it's more than fair to say that they suffer from the same animus toward Russia that any pro-war neoliberal holds.

[rreally]

Yeah, it's really unfair to treat the country that has invaded and occupied a half dozen of its neighbors in the past few decades as responsible for its actions.

The peanut gallery demands more shitting on the EU!

[Chumby]

Afghanistan and…Afghanistan.

[rreally]

I'm sorry, are you drawing a false equivalence between the U.S. invading Afghanistan after 9/11, and Russia invading Moldova, Ukraine, and Georgia, not to mention manning various dictators' crackdowns (like at present in Belarus, and in the recent past in Syria)?

I notice you post that copypasta about Transnistria in several of these articles. Are you paid by the word?

[Just Say'n]

You do know that the US and the EU overthrew the democratically elected president of Ukraine and replaced him with a pro-EU replacement which led to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, right? That's not even in dispute, Wikileaks leaked the cables. Or do you only accept CIA approved history?

[Just Say'n]

"Are you paid by the word?"

Holy shit, it's retarded. Everyone not mouthing CIA talking points is obvioulsy a bot

[rreally]

Did you confuse which account you were logged into, or are you a different retarded mouthpiece for Putin?

For laughs, how, in your addled view, did the US and EU overthrow the president of Ukraine?

[Just Say'n]

If you aren't familiar with color revolutions or Wikileaks, you really are as useful to the cause of liberty and peace as Cato. Seriously, you're dumb. Like public school history dumb

[Just Say'n]

The problem with libertarians is that worthless people like this aren't bullied to self-harm. There is no need for this warmed over neocon trash talking points.

[rreally]

So, when the Ukrainians manage to elect the non-Russian-puppet party in a not-even-free election (Orange Revolution), that's the U.S. and E.U. overthrowing the government. When the Ukrainians conduct a popular protest against the Russian puppet when he inevitably breaks every campaign promise, then unleashes his own soldiers on the protesters, then flees to Russia when [the crackdown] is not going his way, that's the U.S. and E.U. overthrowing the president.

K. Got it.

I get that your master Putin is afraid of popular revolutions, but your definition of "overthrow," both as to severity and agency, is wide enough to fit, just as an example: buying ads on Facebook which influence voters counts as "overthrowing" a government. And I'm sure you would argue against that in a certain context, retarded Trumpkin that you cosplay as here. Or maybe the real you is retarded Trumpkin, and you came to the Russian propaganda as a second order consequence. It's kind of a chicken or egg problem with idiots like you. You all serve Russia's interests in foreign policy and Trump's... well interests isn't the right word. Trump's fancies? with domestic policy.

In any event, you're a moral and ideological failure who doesn't deserve the fruits of the West you presumably suckle on.

I wanted to give you a nice send off, because you're definitely on the ignore list due to your next message.

[Chumby]

I posted the most recent Russian invasion and occupation. Just Afghanistan.

From where did I get the “copypasta?” Provide cites please.

Are you paid by the stupid post?

[rreally]

Oh, ok. You deny that Russia invaded Ukraine, and invaded Moldova, and invaded Georgia. Thanks for making that clear. You're a liar and a tool of a vicious revanchist dictator who has killed more Russians (I'm just guessing ethnicity is the basis for your loyalty to Putin, few outside of it are that stupid) than the West you apparently hate.

The copypasta I'm referring to is the identical several paragraph long post "complicating" the situation in Transnistria. You posted it in seemingly every Reason article posted about the post-Soviet republics.

It's an unnecessary complication, because the situation in Transnistria is pretty simple. Russia invaded and occupied Moldovan territory with its little green men. Step two is threaten the sovereign country it invaded with further ruin, unless the sovereign country agrees to a ceasefire-cum-frozen-conflict which officially permits a Russian military presence that can threaten the sovereign state up close. Generally, so it doesn't displease or otherwise drift out of Russia's orbit. They got their deal in Moldova, which officially recognizes the presence of Russian "peacekeepers."

Sometimes Russia's purpose is more specific, like embarrassing the Georgian president, or a panic move concerning Russian forces in Crimea.

Moldova was the alpha program, Georgia the beta, and Ukraine the latest.

Certainly, there is some truth to the idea that Putin is "protecting" Russians in these countries, insofar as there are Russians there. After all, in the Soviet era the Russians liquidated, starved, displaced, and/or exiled the local populations (a war crime) and replaced them with Russians (another war crime). Now they're little Sudetenlands - slices of sovereign countries with an ethnic minority presenting a flimsy excuse for what amounts to empire building. But Russia is such a hobbled shitshow of a country that none of it is sustainable. At least the Nazis had a modicum of foresight. Russia just bombs all of its neighbors and then wonders why everyone hates and fears it.

[Chumby]

No. Russia did not invade Transnistria.

I originally wrote it after the garbage Belarus article. And posted as a counter to the up-until-then western nation regurgitated talking point reheated leftovers articles covering the fall of the Soviet Union. A few articles since then have been better, including this one. I reposted here since Matt briefly mentioned Transnistria in his article and it is germane to a discussion of Moldova.

Travel to these regions and talk with the locals. Spend time with them. You may come away with something more than western/NATO talking points.

None of my interviews for what I wrote, including Romanians, say what you are claiming. The Russian I spoke with said, “Transnistria? This is part of Moldova.” This is far different than when talking about Crimea, Donbas or Chechnya.

[rreally]

To be clear, your claim now is that 1/3 of the invasions I asserted didn't happen. You concede the other two did? You concede that you were lying, when you said: "the most recent Russian invasion and occupation [was] Just Afghanistan."

How's this: we settle on you being 2/3 a liar and tool of a vicious revanchist dictator.

I will admit though, you're a lot more flowery than the usual Russian troll. Does the Internet Research Agency have a new journalism internship?

[Chumby]

Now you are just shitposting. Go to Eastern Europe and learn.

[rreally]

I was demanding you take responsibility for your claims and take a step towards honesty.

A big step, for you and yours.

I'm not surprised you declined, liar/tool.

[perlhaqr]

This seems uncharacteristically uninformed of you, Chumby. I didn't think it was particularly uncommon knowledge that Russia had invaded Ukraine. And that Russian troops and Russian backed forces were present in territory generally understood to belong to Ukraine.

Which doesn't excuse that other guy being a flaming dickbag to you about the subject.

[Just Say'n]

If Matt "War on the Rocks" Welch likes her then she's obviously just a puppet of Brussels

[The Encogitationer]

She does look kinda cute. I hope there's no Mold ova certain parts of her.

[The Encogitationer]

There are lots of happy media(plural of "medium,") between being a puppet of Putin and being a puppet of the E.U. in Brussels. I say libertarians should at least give Maia Sandu a fair hearing.

[perlhaqr]

I'm just thinking that wanting to join the EU seems pretty pro-Brussels.