Moldova and Bulgaria swing to the East as pro-Putin parties win presidential vote

[webfact]

Moldova and Bulgaria swing to the East as pro-Putin parties win presidential vote

 

 

The presidential election results in Bulgaria and Moldova show a distinct pro-Russian political trend.

 

During their presidential campaigns, both winning candidates advocated closer relations with Moscow.

 

Leader of Moldova’s Party of Socialists Igor Dodon won Sunday’s Moldovan runoff vote, beating his EU-leaning rival by around 5 percentage points.

 

After the elections, he said he hoped his first official visit to Moscow will take place before the end of this year.

 

“Without the reestablishment of the good, friendly and strategic relations with the Russian Federation, the Republic of Moldova has no future,” Dodon said. “We have had these good and friendly relations for hundreds of years.”.

 

Throughout his electoral campaign, Dodon promised to work to change the economic aspect of the association agreement with the European Union signed in 2014 by Moldovan pro-European authorities.

 

Bulgaria, a country largely dependent on Russian gas, also elected Sunday a Russian-speaking president, the socialist Roumen Radev, who advocates improving ties with Russia.

 

Radev has taken a stand in favour of a lifting of European sanctions against Russia, raising prospects of a strategic shift towards the East.

 

Amanda Paul, a senior policy Analyst based in Brussels,explained the swing away from the West, and towards the East.

 

“I think in Bulgaria, again, is a reflection of the ongoing crisis in Europe and the empathy from society which is sick of the current political leaders, so I think it is representative of the negative scenario in Europe.

 

“They are looking for something different to what they have had in recent years. And obviously this pro-Russian candidate represents a total change of personality, whereas in Moldova I think it’s more to do with disappointment over the corrupt actions of the governing elite in the last few years.

 

“The governing elite that was supposed to be pushing policies to make the country more prosperous and less corrupt.”

 

 

-- © Copyright Euronews 2016-11-15

[craigt3365]

I was there not long ago.  My guides said it was a rigged election.  They were pretty sad about the whole thing.

 

https://article.wn.com/view/2016/10/05/Moldova_official_says_Russia_meddling_in_presidential_race/

 

Quote

 

The speaker of Moldova's parliament accused Russia Tuesday of meddling in the country's politics ahead of a presidential election that could cement the former Soviet republic as a contender for European Union membership or further Russan control. Parliament Speaker Andrian Candu said the government thinks

"the Russians are financing political parties and leaders"

and backing anti-government protests. ...

 

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldovan_presidential_election,_2016

Quote

 

Prior to the elections the Central Electoral Commission announced that the total number of voters was 3.2 million, an implausible figure, given the steady decline in Moldova's population,^[10] and the fact that preliminary results of the 2014 demographic survey indicated that the total population of the country was only three million.^[11]

 

An independent investigation revealed that the lists of voters prepared by the Central Electoral Commission were inaccurate and contained a significant number of deceased people.^[12] From a sample of 300 deceased, 100 were still listed as eligible to cast their vote, according to the online voter registry managed by the CEC.

 

The voter list included some prominent figures, such as the movie director Emil Loteanu (died in 2003), the actor Mihai Volontir (died in 2015) and the journalist Constantin Tănase (died in 2014).

 

 

[jpinx]

Having lived there for a while some years ago, it's fair to say that there is huge russian influence.   Is this Putins way of chipping off the edges of the EU?

[craigt3365]

51 minutes ago, jpinx said:

Having lived there for a while some years ago, it's fair to say that there is huge russian influence.   Is this Putins way of chipping off the edges of the EU?

I also visited Transnistria.  The part of Moldova that Russia has taken just like they have in Georgia and Ukraine.  Saw Russia tanks parked under camo with lots of soldiers around carrying machine guns.  Very strange.

 

https://news.vice.com/article/moldova-has-politely-asked-russia-to-move-europes-largest-weapons-stockpile

Quote

Moldova Has Politely Asked Russia to Move Europe's Largest Weapons Stockpile

 

[Stargeezr]

Oh, great!  More instability in Europe.  I wonder  what will happen next.  France,  the first country

to have a majority of Muslims, getting a new type of government and 1000 more

Mosques!  How will that be  for a  news headline in 5 or 10 more years.

Geezer

[Baerboxer]

16 minutes ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Oh, great!  More instability in Europe.  I wonder  what will happen next.  France,  the first country

to have a majority of Muslims, getting a new type of government and 1000 more

Mosques!  How will that be  for a  news headline in 5 or 10 more years.

Geezer

 

Not if Le Penn gets elected mate!

 

 

[zaphod reborn]

Trump wants the US to join the Putin-led Russian bloc.

[craigt3365]

3 minutes ago, zaphod reborn said:

Trump wants the US to join the Putin-led Russian bloc.

That'll be the day.  One megalomaniac working with another. LOL  Never happen. 

[JuanCarlos]

40 minutes ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Oh, great!  More instability in Europe.  I wonder  what will happen next.  France,  the first country

to have a majority of Muslims, getting a new type of government and 1000 more

Mosques!  How will that be  for a  news headline in 5 or 10 more years.

Geezer

5-10% of the population is not the majority as far as I know.

 

 

Edited November 15, 2016 by JuanCarlos

[elgordo38]

48 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

That'll be the day.  One megalomaniac working with another. LOL  Never happen. 

Megalomaniac is that similar to a megaton or is there any association between the two.

[elgordo38]

Sure did not take long for these countries to take The Donald at his word. Go blow no more dough and they of course scooted under the Russian umbrella. As more countries go through the Trump dump I am sure mother Russia can find a bigger umbrella. 

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

1 hour ago, craigt3365 said:

That'll be the day.  One megalomaniac working with another. LOL  Never happen. 

Tell that to Hitler and Mussolini !!!!

[Gene1960]

Trump wants the US to join the Putin-led Russian bloc.

What a crazy statement. Too far from the truth.

[coma]

And the shift in global power continues to turn in Russia's favour. Mmmm. Now I wonder why that is ??

[craigt3365]

35 minutes ago, coma said:

And the shift in global power continues to turn in Russia's favour. Mmmm. Now I wonder why that is ??

Yes, Moldova and Bulgaria are such huge wins. LOL  As you may know, I'm just back from there.  Moldova was OK, Bulgaria is fantastic to visit.