Parliamentary Elections in Ukraine (2012) and the European Integration Prospects of the Republic of Moldova
Parliamentary Elections in Ukraine (2012) and the European Integration Prospects of the Republic of Moldova

Author(s): Octavian Țîcu
Subject(s): International relations/trade
Published by: IDIS VIITORUL Institutul pentru Dezoltare şi Initiative Sociale
Keywords: Moldova-Ukraine relations;
Summary/Abstract: The present territory of the Republic of Moldova was marked over time by Ukrainian policies and influences of various intensities which shaped, partly, the internal and external context of our country both in terms of identity and geopolitics. If we structure these influences, then the first one is forming over time, especially in the context of Russian imperial policies after 1812, of a large Ukrainian community on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, whose presence often conditioned the involvement of the Ukrainian factor in our history. The second was marked by the impact of Ukrainian policies, especially in the Soviet period, in shaping the current territorial and identity construction of the Republic of Moldova, particularly in the design of the MASSR in 1924, the MSSR in 1940 and the Soviet-style “Moldovenism” after 1940. A third dimension of these policies is related to the post-independence perception of Ukraine of the Moldovan statehood both in terms of territorial and border configuration and the influence it exerted in time over the Transnistrian conflict. To all this is added the influence of geographic and implicitly political positioning of Ukraine between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Moldova. And here we refer both to the evolution of Moldovan-Russian relations, and the determination of foreign policy guidelines of our country, particularly between the European integration and the Eurasian integration. All these influences have conferred a major role to the Ukrainian factor in determining Moldovan internal and external policies and the political situation in Ukraine had and will always have a formative impact on Chisinau policies. This prompted us to offer a perspective on how the current situation in Ukrainian politics can influence policies in Chisinau and in particular Moldova’s European course. The key factors in this context are particularly the parliamentary elections in 2012, but also, by extension, all changes in Ukraine after coming to power of Viktor Yanukovych in 2010. To understand these realities we will proceed with a brief historical review of the most important moments in relations between the two countries, and later, based on these assumptions to be able to highlight the current context and the likelihood of the future influences of the Ukrainian policies on the Republic of Moldova.

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