The Republic of Moldova will remain without its workforce for the fruit and vegetable harvest this year after the signing of an agreement that will allow Moldovans to work in the farming sector in Germany, the pro-socialist news portal kp.md writes. The narrative is trying to undermine the country’s European aspirations: in fact, the agreement is merely trying legalize the situation of all the Moldovans who are seeking jobs in Germany.
NEWS: “On the one hand, Moldovan authorities seem willing to call home Moldovans living in the Diaspora, whereas on the other hand, the country’s president boasts about signing an agreement with Germany, which starting next year will allow Moldovan citizens “to work legally in Germany, thus enjoying social protection”.
For a few years now, farmers have been complaining about the shortage of labor needed for the fruit and vegetable harvest season. And they are willing to pay handsomely, except that it isn’t working out for them. Hence, starting next year, orchards and vineyards might as well be cut down, since there won’t be anyone left to harvest the crops – they will all go to Germany to pick apples”.
NARRATIVE: The West is leaving the Republic of Moldova without its workforce.
BACKGROUND: The Republic of Moldova is one of the European countries hit the hardest by emigration. There’s no official data to draw on, but an estimated 800 thousand citizens have left the country seeking better paid jobs abroad, considering the Republic of Moldova is considered Europe’s poorest country.
The favorite countries of destination for Moldovan migrants are those in Western Europe, but also Israel and the United States. In Russia, once a favorite destination among Moldovan workers, the number of Moldovans has started to go down because of restrictions, but also due to the waning living standards in this country.
Part of Moldovans who settle down in EU member states use their Romanian IDs, considering the Agreement for the liberalization of visas forbids the hiring of Moldovan citizens. In this context, the Republic of Moldova signed agreements with certain member states, allowing its citizens to sign fixed-term employment agreements.
The signing of such an agreement was announced during the visit Chișinău of Germany’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier in September. The announcement sparked criticism from certain media outlets, mostly Russian-speaking, which reprimand the government for encouraging citizens to leave the country instead of improving work conditions for Moldovans at home. These narratives are similar to the ones circulated nearly a decade ago, when some Eurosceptic politicians were “warning” that, once the Free Trade Agreement with the EU is signed, the Republic of Moldova will be flooded by European products, to the detriment of local products. This was never confirmed. Meanwhile, Moldovan exports on the single market have increased exponentially.
PURPOSE: To fuel Euroscepticism and reiterate accusations against the EU, claiming the Union is depopulating the Republic of Moldova. To depict the current regime in Chișinău, led by Maia Sandu, as working for Western states, to the detriment of its own citizens.
WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: The exodus of labor force is a problem the Republic of Moldova has been facing for over 20 years. A large number of citizens left the country to work illegally abroad. The same is happening today, when some Moldovan citizens get hired temporarily in EU member states. As they are forbidden from getting hired on the market, they don’t declare their work, thus earning lower wages and lacking any social welfare.
A possible agreement with Germany will allow Moldovan citizens to get hired legally as seasonal workers, which is exactly what many of them are doing right now, except that they don’t declare their work.
The labor force shortage reported in a number of sectors in the Republic of Moldova, including agriculture, is largely caused by low salaries, which deters people from getting hired. Opening up new employment opportunities might lead to an increase in salaries, which recently happened in the case of contract workers.
GRAIN OF TUTH: The Republic of Moldova and Germany have signed an Agreement that will allow Moldovan citizens to get hired as seasonal workers in the farming sector in Germany.
