Journalist and writer Cristian Tudor Popescu compares the international position and leadership style of President Maia Sandu with that of President Nicușor Dan, concluding that, currently, the Republic of Moldova is “more visible” externally than Romania.
According to CTP, Maia Sandu’s international reach has grown as a result of her determination to strengthen state institutions and counter Kremlin influences. He says that under her leadership, the secret services and force structures were restructured and succeeded in blocking attacks based on massive financing, online manipulation and externally controlled candidates.
Maia Sandu won the presidential elections, the referendum on European integration and the parliamentary elections, which allowed the Action and Solidarity Party to govern alone.
“Beneath the fragile appearance, the Moldovan head of state shows astonishing determination and toughness. The Secret Service and the restructured force units under her command managed to counter the attacks with hard money, massive online manipulation and Kremlin-puppet candidates; thus, Maia won the presidential, EU referendum and parliamentary elections – the latter in a landslide, allowing PAS to govern alone, not in a coalition that would put all kinds of soles, as in Romania. It also increased the competence and efficiency of the bodies in the fight against the criminals in the country, mafias, thieves, drug dealers, racketeers, murderers with a knife.” the journalist wrote on Facebook.
CTP also emphasizes the efficiency of the fight against organized crime, noting that even the oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc is in detention in Chisinau. Externally, the journalist notes Maia Sandu’s meetings with European leaders such as Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz and Donald Tusk, as well as the separate discussion with Marco Rubio. It also recalls her nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize and the statement by which Maia Sandu claimed that the credit belongs to the Ukrainians.
“Even the great international criminal Plahotniuc, involved in the “theft of a billion euros” from Moldovan banks, is now in prison in Chisinau. And Mica Maia did not go to the Trump Club, even though Moldova is not an EU member. (…) She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and declared: «I am grateful that people follow our country, appreciate our courage and resilience, but it is the Ukrainians who deserve the Peace Prize, they sacrifice their lives for peace»». it is mentioned in the post.
In contrast, Cristian Tudor Popescu criticizes Nicușor Dan’s lack of firmness in reforming the secret services, justice and law enforcement, as well as the limited support given to Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan. He also cites the episode of the visit to Washington, claiming that the President of Romania failed to obtain a relevant interaction with Donald Trump, a fact that he considers symbolic of Romania’s weak external positioning.
“He did not support Prime Minister Bolojan at all in the bitter struggle he is leading, primarily with the PSD, for change in the Romanian economy and society. (…) As far as foreign policy is concerned, what happened in Washington is telling. By naming him Prime Minister and Nicu Fantastïcu, Trump showed that he does not know who Nicușor Dan is and has no intention of finding out. What was worse was the moment when the President of Romania tried to prolong the intersection in the hallway with Donald Trump. If the US president wanted to talk to him, he could, with a gesture, stop the agent who kicked out Mr. Dan. He didn’t, he left…” CTP states.
CTP also draws attention to the internal opposition to Maia Sandu, including from Romania, mentioning the Alliance for the Union of Romanians party and its leader, George Simion, who spoke out against the support given to the Republic of Moldova. In this context, the journalist makes a historical parallel, recalling the extremist attitudes of Corneliu Zelea Codreanu towards the Bessarabians.
“So, at the moment, we should not think about the union of Bessarabia with Romania, but at the union of Romania with the Republic of Moldova“, wrote Cristian Tudor Popescu in the end.
Yesterday, CTP also wrote about Nicusor Dan’s participation in Washington, at the first meeting of Donald Trump’s Peace Council.
