In Moldova, a huge rally in favor of joining the European Union

Thousands of protesters gathered on Sunday in Moldova, a small country neighboring Ukraine, to announce their European aspirations against Russia.

“We have come to say loud and clear, with confidence and pride, that Moldova has a place in the European Union”, declared President Maia Sandu at the initiative of the event in the heart of the capital Chisinau. Government building.

“Europe is much more than a political slogan, it is a way of life, a dream that must become reality, (…) the only way for our children to live in peace”, insisted the leader, of Horizon. Confirming 50 years to join the twenty-seven of 2030.

Present at his side, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola gave her “support” to Moldova, which she considered “ready for European integration”.

The former Soviet republic of 2.6 million residents sees entry into the European Union as the only guarantee of not being the next target for Russia, following an invasion of its larger neighbor Ukraine.

It received official candidate status for EU membership in June 2022, along with Kiev.

In the crowd, estimated at over 75,000 people according to police figures, young and old, waving Moldovan and European flags in a festive atmosphere.

Aurika Baltag, a 35-year-old student, had come with her two children to show the “unity” of the fragile nation.

“We are going through difficult times with the war in neighboring Ukraine,” he told AFP. “We hope not to be left in the shadows and that the EU will help us overcome this period”.

Concerned like “everyone else about Russian threats”, Liuba Bonta, a 63-year-old retiree, wants to “get out of the recession” the poor country has been plunged into, a victim of mass exodus since independence in 1991 Is.

Regularly rocked by pro-Russian demonstrations – some held again this Sunday in the provinces – Moldova must also deal with the presence of Russian troops on its soil, the pro-Russian separatist region of Transnistria.

In February, Ms Sandu accused Russia of orchestrating a coup to overthrow power in Chisinau and denounced a “hybrid war” led by Moscow.

In an interview with AFP this week, the president said she wants to enter the European Union “as soon as possible”, expecting a decision “in the coming months” on the opening of negotiations.

“Russia will continue to be a major source of instability in the years to come and we must protect ourselves,” he said.