Mikhail Formuzal: European integration is a creeping delivery of statehood!

Bashkan of Gagauzia Mikhail Formuzal who is famous for the independent position on the attitudes towards European aspirations of official Kishinev acted on the occasion of the 19th anniversary from the date of adoption of the Law «About Special Legal Status of Gagauzia» by parliament of the Republic of Moldova and formation of the Gagauz autonomy. He stated Gagauzia’s position on the major questions of the development of Moldova at the present stage:

- Appearance on the map of the Republic of Moldova of Gagauzia was not casual. Recognition of an autonomy turned out to be consequence of the wakened consciousness of our people who reacted to challenges of those years — revelry of nationalism, threat of loss of the Moldavian statehood and prospect of assimilation of Gagauz ethnos as a part of other state having experience of an anti-Gagauz aggressive policy in 20−30 years of the XX century.

Having achieved the status of autonomy, our people relied that their voice will be audible in the Republic of Moldova, that our interests will be considered when carrying out internal reforms and foreign policy, that the central authorities will respect a political choice of Gagauz people. Unfortunately, the history of the last 19 years is full of opposite examples.

The legislation of the Republic of Moldova is upgraded and new acts are adopted without provisions of the Law on special legal status of Gagauzia. The autonomy isn’t presented at institutes of the power of republican level and the place of bashkan in the government turned into scenery which has no real opportunity to influence. There is a purposeful deprivation of Gagauzia of administrative potential. So, the ambulance, republican hospital, «Moldtelekom», customs and many other services are transferred from autonomy to Kagul.

The short-sighted foreign policy of the Republic of Moldova led to introduction of embargo on import of wine by Russia, our strategic partner, from what Gagauzia suffered most of all. Thus the government didn’t undertake any anti-recessionary programs for our wine makers and didn’t allocate any compensations or subsidies for support of wine-making sector. Moreover, Gagauzia’s appeals to reconsider foreign policy in favour of improvement of the relations with Russia were given a hostile reception in Kishinev.

We tried to treat the policy of the European integration of the Republic of Moldova with endurance, expecting to hear convincing arguments about benefits which will be brought to Gagauzia’s inhabitants by the European prospect. However, in practice we see that reforms which are carried out under slogans of European integration often are contrary to interests of the Gagauzs autonomy and the European integration rhetoric turned into a screen behind which there is a sharing of the political power in the country between oligarchic forces. The only European integration which happens actually is a creeping delivery of the Moldavian statehood and processes of association with Romania. Today Gagauzia and its inhabitants appeared in an absurd situation: supporting strengthening of independence of the Republic of Moldova, we became an object of charges from the president that we contradict his Romanian views.

It should be noted with regret that many of those challenges which threatened our people two decades ago, today demand the decision again. Modern political circumstances are that actions of only bashkan or People’s assembly are not enough for the response to the existing threats. In order that Gagauzia survived, it is necessary the people would show their worth. The people can prove most convincingly the subjectivity and the right for the future in the history. So Gagauz people showed their worth in the nineties. And so it has to show today.

The referendum in autonomy is appointed on February 2 on which the inhabitants will speak on two questions: a choice of a foreign policy vector and Gagauzia’s right for external self-determination in case of loss of the independence by Moldova. Day February 2, 2014 has to guarantee protection of our national interests, and also turn Gagauzia into an anchor of the ship of the Moldavian statehood. This action has the fatal decision for us and we have no moral right to think of private political interests at that time.

As for a question of foreign policy, I consider that after referendum Gagauzia has to continue influence on the central power, achieving carrying out a course on economic integration with the Russian Federation and the countries of the Customs Union. At the same time I consider wrong representation of Gagauzia as the enemy of the European Union. We consider attractive the European experience of political decentralization and investment with powers of regions. Also the European standards of work of judicial system and other practical realities of EU are the reference point for us. At the same time we have to protect access of our goods to east market, boundless for us, achieve receiving cheaper energy resources which will be available to pay to our fellow citizens. One of fundamental issues is protection of traditional Christian values and traditions of the Gagauz people which are incompatible with some legislative norms of the EU.

The thesis of Bolsheviks that «revolution is worth something when it is able to protect itself» is well-known. Paraphrasing this idea, it is possible to recognize that Gagauzia will worth something until it is able to protect itself. At the beginning of the 90th the Gagauz people showed an instinct of self-preservation and proved it has the right for existence. I am absolutely sure as today our people are capable to confirm Gagauzia’s firmness and its right for own political destiny.