Moldovans divided over EU referendum with mixed feelings over ties to Russia and the West

Luca Melnicenco is the oldest man in his village.

Quietly, the 90-year-old surveys the rural scene from a bench in front of his home.

After about 30 minutes, a bike passes by. Nowadays, around 750 people live in his home of Chioselia Rusă.

It’s a different world to when Moldova was 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 joining the EU with preliminary polls suggesting around 63% are in favour.

But not Mr Melnicenco.

When it comes to Europe and Russia, he’s clear where his loyalties lie: “It will be better with Russia,” he declares.

“[Russian President Vladimir] Putin, he’s the best person.”

In the pro-Russian autonomous region of Găgăuzia where Mr Melnicenco lives, many feel closer to Moscow than the West.

“Europe will not be good for us because in Europe there is nothing good,” his daughter, Tatiana, says.

But up the road we meet Ivan who is pro-EU.

“Europa, Europa, Europa,” he chants.

Despite being in the minority in his village, he hopes a Yes vote will lead to more jobs.

But his wife, Eugenia, has concerns.

She says Russian propaganda and misinformation have rocketed ahead 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 at all.

One of the poorest countries in Europe, Moldova applied to join the EU after Russia invaded Ukraine, but Moscow isn’t keen to give up influence in the former Soviet state strategically positioned next to Ukraine and the Black Sea.

Earlier this month, Moldovan police seized money and documents linked to Russian-backed groups they allege were trying to meddle in the vote.

They found more than 130,000 people had been bribed to vote No on Sunday.

On Thursday, they announced they had uncovered a programme in which hundreds of Moldovan citizens were brought to Russia to undergo training to stage riots and civil unrest.

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While Moscow is accused of meddling behind the scenes, the pro-European President Maia Sandu has been out on the streets trying to build up support.

She believes by enshrining the desire to join the EU in the constitution it will help prevent pro-Russian forces derailing that ambition in the future.

Pro-Europeans see Moldova as on the frontline of the clash between Western democracy and Russian authoritarianism and believe Sunday’s referendum could be one of the most historic decisions taken by the country since it gained independence from the Soviet Union.

They say a Yes vote would signal a decision to move further away from the Kremlin; a No means a step back towards Moscow.