REFERENDUM 2024 // Moldovan president: Now European integration train is coming, we either catch it or miss it

Chisinau, Aug 17 /MOLDPRES/ - Moldovan citizens will take part in a constitutional referendum on 20 October 2024, and will answer the question "Do you agree amending the Constitution for Moldova's accession to the European Union?"

The results of the plebiscite will be the basis, if most people answer yes to this question for amending the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova, so that the desire for European integration will be binding for all future governments.

The homework for the government, as well as for society is to convince people of the benefits of joining the European Union and the need for mass participation in the constitutional plebiscite in October. Moldovans know the value of democracy and know how to tell the difference - where right and wrong. Kremlin is afraid of the Moldovans' decision and will try to discourage, through various forms of propaganda and disinformation, the participation of citizens in the referendum. The opinion was expressed by President Maia Sandu during the discussion with the diaspora held at See You at Home Festival.

Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova: "I am often asked why this referendum has to be organized now. My answer is that the European integration train is coming now and we either catch it or miss it. I would like to remind you that we missed another train of European integration, which was here, when the Baltic States, Romania, Bulgaria became EU member states, and it took many years before the train came back. 

Two things are needed now - our people must say what they want, they must say clearly that they want to live in the EU, and the second thing - all state institutions and not only, civil society, the economic environment and all others must get involved in negotiations and preparing the country for accession, because there is a lot of work to be done there. There are these two things and the train is at the station and the decision has to be taken now.

I very much hope that we will take the right decision, that we all understand how important it is to be part of a family in which countries help each other, especially in these dangerous times with a border war and us being a small, vulnerable country, to realize that we cannot wait 30 years to build our welfare. We can no longer afford to wait another 30 years to struggle on our own. That's why we have a referendum now, that's why we must mobilize now.

This referendum is not for me, I will not sign the accession agreement. It will be another country's leader, it is not for a political party to join the EU. It is for all of us, for those who understand the advantages of European integration and for those who do not, but absolutely everyone will benefit from Moldova's accession to the EU.

I am very much counting on all Moldovans at home and in the diaspora to mobilize and to firmly and resolutely state our decision to join the EU. After that, we should work very seriously so that by 2030 we are not only ready for accession, but also have the decisions taken by the member states in their parliaments.

The homework is to convince people to come out in referendums, to come out in elections. It is an important decision, if you see Kremlin's spokespersons trying to say that this referendum is not important, because they are afraid of the decision of Moldovans, they know that Moldovans understand where there is peace and where there is war, where living conditions are not ideal, but they are better and where they are worse, what democracy means, what it means when people can express their point of view without being penalized, what it means when people can criticize the president of the country without going to prison, as happens in Russia. They do not want Moldovans to take part in the referendum, which is why they are also waging this campaign to discourage them.

We need to reach as many people as possible and tell them that everyone has to decide for themselves, not to let others decide for us, and of course we have to explain to people."