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In Moldova, we held our EU referendum in Russia’s shadow. The result was too close for comfort | Paula Erizanu
Like Brexit, our vote on Europe teetered on a knife-edge. While the pro-EU side scraped a win, Russia is waiting to undermine itI have now gone through two EU referendums in my life – Brexit and Moldova’s 20 October vote on whether to include EU integration in its constitution. As an EU national in the UK, I was not able to cast my ballot in 2016. I remember the expectation most people had that Brexit would not win. I received the news while travelling in Spain and staying with a British national settled there, who could not vote in the referendum either. Some London-born friends told me they felt as though they could no longer recognise their country, which had been split in two. With that British experience on my mind, I had a sense of deja vu as I watched the results unfold in my native Moldova on Sunday night.As opinion polls before the vote, which excluded Moldova’s large, pro-European diaspora, suggested, there was between 54% and 65% support for the EU. The only fear for pro-European Moldovans was that the turnout would be too small to have the referendum validated. When it became clear that 51% of voters had showed up – more than in other recent elections – everyone in my bubble felt optimistic, posting pictures of their “I voted” blue stickers given out at polling stations. I was in an echo-chamber.Paula Erizanu is a Moldovan journalist and writer based in Chișinău Continue reading...
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/23/moldova-eu-referendum-russia-brexit-europe
The author, a Moldovan journalist, reflects on the EU referendum in Moldova, comparing it to the Brexit experience in the UK. The author notes that the results were unexpected, with a narrow majority voting in favor of EU integration. The article discusses the potential reasons for the outcome, including Russian interference and internal causes such as Russification and frustration with the government.