Luca Melnicenco is the oldest man in his village.
Quietly, the 90-year-old surveys the agricultural scene from a bench in entrance of his dwelling.
After about half-hour, a motorcycle passes by. These days, round 750 individuals dwell in his dwelling of Chioselia Rusă.
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Luca Melnicenco remembers Moldova’s time as a Soviet state with fondness
It is a totally different world to when Moldova was a part of the Soviet Union, a time he remembers fondly.
“It was good, everyone here worked. No one left to go abroad. Not like today,” Mr Melnicenco says.
This weekend Moldovans will vote in a referendum on becoming a member of the EU with preliminary polls suggesting round 63% are in favour.
However not Mr Melnicenco.
On the subject of Europe and Russia, he is clear the place his loyalties lie: “It will be better with Russia,” he declares.
“[Russian President Vladimir] Putin, he’s the best person.”
Within the pro-Russian autonomous area of Găgăuzia the place Mr Melnicenco lives, many really feel nearer to Moscow than the West.
“Europe will not be good for us because in Europe there is nothing good,” his daughter, Tatiana, says.
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Ivan and Eugenia
However up the street we meet Ivan who’s pro-EU.
“Europa, Europa, Europa,” he chants.
Regardless of being within the minority in his village, he hopes a Sure vote will result in extra jobs.
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A marketing campaign occasion for President Sandu
However his spouse, Eugenia, has issues.
She says Russian propaganda and misinformation have rocketed forward of this weekend’s referendum and presidential election.
“I think 70% of people are zombies,” she says, claiming residents are being brainwashed and that Kremlin proxies are encouraging them to vote No or not vote in any respect.
One of many poorest nations in Europe, Moldova utilized to hitch the EU after Russia invaded Ukraine, however Moscow is not eager to surrender affect within the former Soviet state strategically positioned subsequent to Ukraine and the Black Sea.
Earlier this month, Moldovan police seized cash and paperwork linked to Russian-backed teams they allege have been making an attempt to meddle within the vote.
They discovered greater than 130,000 individuals had been bribed to vote No on Sunday.
On Thursday, they introduced that they had uncovered a programme through which a whole lot of Moldovan residents have been dropped at Russia to bear coaching to stage riots and civil unrest.
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A tent arrange in Chisinau to tell of the upcoming referendum. Pic: Reuters
Whereas Moscow is accused of meddling behind the scenes, the pro-European President Maia Sandu has been out on the streets making an attempt to construct up help.
She believes by enshrining the need to hitch the EU within the structure it’s going to assist stop pro-Russian forces derailing that ambition sooner or later.
Professional-Europeans see Moldova as on the frontline of the conflict between Western democracy and Russian authoritarianism and consider Sunday’s referendum could possibly be one of the vital historic selections taken by the nation because it gained independence from the Soviet Union.
They are saying a Sure vote would sign a choice to maneuver additional away from the Kremlin; a No means a step again in direction of Moscow.
