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Pro-Socialist media seeks to link migration to Maia Sandu’s presidency, by citing a study on current trends. However, the phenomenon is one that has started more than two decades ago, and statistics show that its magnitude has been the same for the past 5 years, an interval that also covers the presidential term of Socialist leader Igor Dodon.
NEWS: “STUDY // In the country led by Maia Sandu, every 3rd (sic!) young person intends to go abroad in the coming months”, the media portal affiliated with the Party of Socialists, telegraph.md, writes, quoting an opinion poll on the intention of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova to leave the country. The survey also makes a comparison with data from previous years, which shows that the number of citizens who want to leave the Republic of Moldova has virtually been the same for several years.
“According to a CBS-AXA survey, commissioned by the “Viitorul” (The Future) Institute for Development and Social Initiatives and presented on Friday, June 11, this year, 15.2% of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, aged over 18, say they intend to leave the country within the following months. The figure is almost 3% lower compared to 2020 and 5% lower compared to 2018. 15.2% means around 30-35 thousand people, who this year will most likely leave the territory of the Republic of Moldova [...] Young people aged 18-29 make up for the largest share of citizens who intend to go abroad - 28%, almost 1% more than a year ago, but about 2% less than in 2018. There follows the 30-44 age bracket, with 18.1%.
“Regarding young people, the situation has been and still is extremely sad. Practically every third young person says that they want to go and live abroad, and this decision hasn’t changed in the past five years. Young people say now they want to leave country, just like young people said five year ago. It is the most stable group that does not see any solution here, in the Republic of Moldova”, Veaceslav Ioniță said.”Similar news, under the same title, was published by another media institution affiliated to PSRM, actualitati.md.
NARRATIVES: 1. Maia Sandu is to blame for the citizens (young people) that leave the country. 2. Maia Sandu has disappointed young people.
LOCAL CONTEXT / ETHOS: The exodus of the population has been one of the Republic of Moldova’s biggest problems in the past 20 years. According to the United Nations Population Fund, the Republic of Moldova is the country where the population has been decreasing at the fastest pace.
A study conducted in 2010 showed that, by 2050, the Republic of Moldova is likely to have lost one million people, i.e. about 30% of the total.
There is no exact data on the number of those who have gone abroad, but according to information published by the Government, the figure reported at the beginning of 2020 was over 770 thousand people.The issue of migration is also one of the main themes in the current election campaign for the early parliamentary elections of July 11, especially in the context of ensuring a sufficient number of polling stations for the diaspora, given that in last year's presidential elections some Moldovans abroad did not manage to vote due to the small number of polling stations and ballots; however, a record 260,000 Moldovan citizens voted abroad, representing about 14% of the total.The diaspora and young people are mostly right-wing voters and they supported Maia Sandu in the presidential elections, which explains the attempt of some media institutions affiliated with her main political rival to associate her with the phenomenon of migration, especially among young people.
PURPOSE: To associate Maia Sandu with the phenomenon of migration, especially of young people. To inoculate the idea that young people, who are usually right-wing voters, are disappointed with Maia Sandu's performance as president. To show that Maia Sandu's actions / activity are inefficient.
WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: The quoted survey shows that the number of those who intend to go abroad - 15.2% - is the lowest in the last five years, since research has been conducted in this regard.It is true that the rate of young people who want to leave is the highest - 28%, higher compared to a year ago, but yet a little lower than the average of the last five years - 28.4%. By the way, it is 28% and not a third, as the respective media headlines.Given the trends studied in the last five years, the connection that some media institutions are trying to make between the intention of Moldovan citizens to leave the country and Maia Sandu's activity as president is not substantiated, so it’s just headline manipulation.Maia Sandu took over the office of President of the Republic of Moldova on December 24, 2020. Moreover, the Republic of Moldova is a parliamentary country, and the head of state, according to the Constitution, has reduced powers.
GRAIN OF TRUTH: A large number of Moldovan citizens have gone abroad and others, especially young people, intend to leave due to the low standard of living in the Republic of Moldova.
THE NARRATIVES BENEFIT: The Electoral Bloc of Communists and Socialists (BECS) in the context of the campaign for early parliamentary elections.
