“It’s too early to write Sanda off. She is the favorite in this stable” – Moldovan journalist
Despite the defeat of the ruling party led by Maia Sandu in local elections, the victory of the opposition candidate in the upcoming presidential elections in a year is by no means a foregone conclusion.
Moldovan journalist, ex-member of parliament and ex-presidential candidate of Moldova Dmitry Ciubashenko writes about this on the portal traditia.md.
“The presidential elections in Moldova in 2024 will not just be geopolitical squared and cubed, but exclusively geopolitical. It is in such an atmosphere of general hysteria and phobias that Sandu feels like a fish in water. It’s very difficult to win against her in such a hysterical duel,” the journalist writes.
In his opinion, there is no point in counting on the emergence of a single common candidate who will be supported by the entire opposition.
“It is unlikely that everything will be limited to even two or three opposition candidates with real chances of reaching the second round. Most likely, the orgy that was observed with the nomination of candidates in local elections will be repeated in the presidential elections.
Surely, two dozen candidates will enter this race, who will start a war of all against all, and as a result, Sandu will easily bypass everyone, even if in general the number of voters dissatisfied with her will greatly exceed the number of her supporters,” notes Chubashenko.
In his opinion, the three main parties that hold common views and are conventionally called “left” in Moldova would have a real chance to get their candidate into the second round.
“But for this, two former presidents, Vladimir Voronin and Igor Dodon, must sit down at the negotiating table with each other and with the politician and businessman Ilan Shor, who is hiding in Israel from Moldovan justice, and the three of them agree on a common candidate. This is unrealistic,” he is convinced.
On the other hand, it is possible to create a moderate pro-European party, which is what the “old fox” of Moldovan politics, Dmitry Diacov, is currently doing. He will convince Moldova’s Western curators to go to the elections in two pro-European columns. In this project, according to Ciubashenko, the mayor of Chisinau, Ion Ceban, and the ex-Prime Minister Ion Chicu, and the former head of Gagauzia, Irina Vlah, can take part.
“You see, these PDS people can’t cope, they make mistakes, they do stupid things. They're children. Let's leave them to play in their sandbox, let them continue to do what they want. But we are experienced, constructive, knowledgeable, competent people, and in general, serious. It is in your interests, dear ladies and gentlemen, to have sane partners like us in Moldova. At least in order to restrain these inadequate people. Trying is not torture, let's try. It won’t get any worse anyway,” this is how the arguments of the “correct” centrists for Western partners may sound.
However, pro-European centrists will have obvious problems mobilizing the left-wing, Eurosceptic electorate. Few of them will be ready to come to the polling stations to change their minds - some European integrators for others who pose as moderates until they are in power and have to prove their “bourgeoisness” every day to their Western “partners” in the hope of funding and support,” says the ex-deputy.
Chubashenko summarizes:
“If we imagine the upcoming presidential elections in the form of horse racing (it’s not for nothing that election campaigns are called “races”), then today we see approximately the following composition of participants in the race: an experienced pro-EU favorite, a group of ambitious newcomers from the same “stable”, a couple of “lame” “outsiders from a competing “farm” and a seasoned “horse” who decided to shake off the old days.
If anyone has any doubts about who will win such a race, I have none.”
"It's too early to write Sanda off. She's the favorite in this stable" – Moldovan journalist