Opinion remains split in Moldova ahead of Sunday's EU membership referendum

euronews (in English)

Polls put Moldovans' support for EU membership at around 60% and a turnout of 33% is needed for the referendum to be considered valid, meaning that many Russian-backed campaigns have focused on demobilising voters.

Transcript

00:00People in Moldova head to the polls on Sunday to choose their next president and to vote

00:07in a referendum on whether the country should join the European Union.

00:11Opinion is split on whether joining the EU will provide the bright future supporters

00:16of the idea suggest.

00:18And some Moldovans prefer to maintain a cordial relationship with Russia.

00:22This referendum has an existential value for us, for the citizens of Moldova, because it

00:29will determine the laws of civilization for our state and for the Moldovan people.

00:34We are really Europeans, in the sense that we adhere to European civilization, or we continue

00:42to remain Soviet and belong to a civilization that has gone down in history.

00:49Authorities in Moldova have sounded the alarm that Russia is trying to swing the election

00:53away from EU membership.

00:55Chisinau estimates that Russia has spent as much as 100 million euros to undermine the

01:00electoral process, including through coordinated disinformation campaigns designed to sway

01:06or suppress the vote.

01:08On Thursday, Moldova's prime minister advised voters to remain vigilant.

01:19We are going back to the past, alone, without resources for development, vulnerable to

01:25challenges, or we are going to the future, in the family of civilized countries.

01:30The majority of young people who spoke here in Chisinau said that they want the country

01:35to be part of the European structures.

01:37For them, European integration means better jobs, but also a better professional realization.

01:42Moldovans expect, first of all, a rise in salaries and better investment in infrastructure,

01:47especially in road infrastructure.

01:49Despite its detractors, recent polls put support among Moldovans for EU membership at around

01:5560 percent.

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