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Moldovan Government, Activists Take Bold Steps to Face West

In recent months Moldovan Prime Minister, Pavel Filip, has taken aggressive actions to advance Moldovan integration with the European Union.

From implementing myriad economic reforms, strengthening the judiciary, and rooting out corruption to solidifying international partnerships while promoting regional stability, it’s clear the Filip-led government is committed to a western-facing, free enterprise system of governance.

And when Great Britain voted to exit the EU back in June, Moldova stepped forward and said, we want in.

The push for EU integration by Filip’s government has even propelled private citizens to organize and take up the cause. In recent days citizen activists launched a new pro-EU integration organization called, “Join Now.”

The initiative was advanced through the cooperation of several high profile non-governmental organizations in Moldova. Among them are The Resource Center for Human Rights, The National Council of Student Organizations in Moldova, The European Center for Civil Initiatives, along with several others.

“Every concerned citizen – a young man, a teenager, a pensioner, an entrepreneur – will be able to get information on what European integration means to Moldova. What achievements are possible for our nation and what new opportunities might arise,” said Serghiu Ostaf, leader of the Join Now Movement, at a press conference last week.

Join Now’s mission, according to Ostaf, is to generate passion and excitement in the Moldovan people who support joining the European Union while bringing others into the fold through engagement in this national educational effort.

At the center of the organization’s platform is the belief that integrating with the European Union will provide Moldovans with greater opportunity for better jobs and greater prosperity by widely broadening the nation’s marketplace.

But joining the European Union also sends a strong signal to the world that Moldova and its people want to bring about sweeping reform and embrace the values and the culture of the west.

The stakes are high for the people of Moldova. The country’s government is in the midst of a battle for regional independence while also taking these critical steps to move west.

The citizen-led movement validating Filip’s reform-minded strategy certainly leads one to believe that the Moldovan people are tired of business as usual from their political leaders and they’re ready for real change.

If Filip’s government is truly serious about moving Moldova westward, as all signs indicate, there’s a good chance the people’s voices will be heard.