Moldova's Values Survey: Widening a European Dialogue in Moldova

Two major trends are currently observable in the behavioural patterns of Moldova’s population:

- Public support of the EU and its policies (EaP) has slightly eroded which is reflected in the respondents’ perceptions, levels of interest, attitudes and behavioural preferences

- Moldovan respondents signal deep confusion in relation to the values they associate with their country vis-à-vis those attributed to the EU, and the Eurasian Customs Union (ECU)

Thematic Block I: Public perceptions of and attitudes to the EU

- Although levels of awareness and frequency of public travel to the EU have positively grown (+2%) since 2009, which is duly reflected in higher public cognizance of the EU in terms of its institutional structures, membership and policies; public interest in the EU (-5%) and levels of trust especially (-23%) nevertheless demonstrate signs of decline

- There is an increasing discernment that Moldova is being perceived as a ‘laggard’ (+7%), and a ‘second-class’ partner (+5%), as well as an unlawful (+17%) and feeble democracy (+4%).

- Although the EU continues to associate with the feelings of ‘faith’ (+10%) and ‘enthusiasm’ (+4%), there is also a noticeable rise in public ‘distrust’ and ‘anxiety’ (+15%), alongside ‘indifference’ (+3%) and the loss of ‘hope’ (-4%) since 2009

Thematic Block II: Moldova-EU relations under the EaP: perceptions, values and ambitions

- There is a general sense of stagnation in EU-Moldovan relations depicted as ‘more talks than actions’ (+2%) in public discourse. Furthermore, the EU-Moldovan relations under the EaP are now conceived as corresponding more to the interests of the EU rather than those of Moldova (+13%)

- This is further reinforced by the increasingly negative anticipation of change under the EaP associated with deteriorating living conditions, growing pressure from Russia, costly reforms, political uncertainty, and limited change in practice.

- There is a growing sense of normative disorientation amongst the Moldovan respondents: while the EU continues to associate with a fixed set of liberal values, the perceptions of ‘the Self’ have markedly eroded, with every third respondent struggling to attribute any definitive connotation of values to their own country

Thematic Block III: Moldova-Russia relations, including perceptions of/attitudes to the ECU

- Levels of awareness about the Eurasian Customs Union (ECU) are relatively high (85%), and many respondents see the ECU as equally effective as the EU in addressing immediate pressing problems of economic reforms, trade relations and employment in Moldova

- The ECU is also associated with a hybrid normative model of ‘social democracy’, which offers a mix of liberal and socialist (egalitarian) values, and which may be more appealing to the public mind. An increasing number of respondents believe that partnership with Russia would be more beneficial for Moldova (+3%) than that with the EU (-14%); and they would rather choose membership in a Russia-led union (+15%) to that in the EU (-1%)

- There is an actualising sense of rivalry between the ECU and the EU, with public opinion explicitly divided between the two regional power centres