Moldova's Russian speakers increasingly support EU
A growing number of Russian-speaking citizens in Moldova support the country's accession to the European Union.
An analysis published by WatchDog expert Tatiana Cojocari, a sociologist, reveals that despite strong cultural and historical ties with Russia, this demographic is becoming increasingly receptive to Moldova's integration into the EU.
According to the September 2024 CBS-Axa poll, commissioned by the WatchDog.MD Community, 21% of respondents opted to answer the questions in Russian—a percentage that largely corresponds with the proportion of Russian speakers in the country.
Of those respondents, 34% strongly support EU integration, while another 6% remain undecided. This indicates that despite assertions that Russian speakers are more likely to favour Russia due to cultural connections, nearly 40% of this demographic lean towards Moldova joining the EU, according to the WatchDog analysis.
The analysis further notes that approximately half (49%) of Russian speakers view the October 20th Republican Constitutional Referendum as a democratic exercise crucial for Moldova's European integration. Additionally, one in six Russian-speaking respondents believes the referendum is timely and that citizens, rather than politicians, should determine the country's foreign policy direction.
"The factors motivating Russian speakers to support Moldova's EU integration are not primarily education, values, or age, but rather the country's economic situation and the understanding that Moldova cannot progress in isolation," states Cojocari.
The 2014 census data indicates that approximately 21% of Moldova's population are Russian speakers, encompassing various ethnicities such as Moldovans, Ukrainians, Gagauz, Russians, and Bulgarians. Two-thirds (approximately 67%) of Russian speakers in Moldova are between 45 and 60+ years old.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
