Q 01: If you as a citizen could change something about Moldova today, if you could change just one law or correct one mistake that’s been made in recent history – what would it be?
Firstly, I wish that simply changing one law or correcting one mistake would help to make meaningful change to Moldova. The reality is different. Our country has fundamental problems to solve. We must resolve our financial system and our judicial system. If we as a country, are not only to improve our low national GDP but to thrive together as one ‘Family’, we must make her more attractive for funds to enter our country, more secure for such funds to be managed, and more rewarding for such funds to be invested into profitable and sustainable initiatives. My background in international finance and business provides the Vision and experience to implement pragmatic steps towards such a goal.
The mistake that has been repeated in recent history, is that these problems are tackled without a holistic plan. Our country seems to be constantly behind, just surviving to manage one crisis after another. Without a Vision and a Plan, these difficult problems are not truly tackled. My Vision for a New Moldova requires all of our national systems to be calibrated towards one common goal and will allow us to step by step get ahead of the problems.
Q 02: What are the first three steps to bring Moldova’s economy out of the crisis?
We first must define what can be our economic strengths. Traditionally our economy has relied on agriculture. This can still be a strength, but we must have a more forward-looking strategy that relies on diversifying our economy. We are not a large country and our physical and natural resources, while rich in tradition, are by definition limited.
Small countries around the world, such as Singapore, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, and the emirate of Dubai within the UAE, have proven that the size of a country does not need to limit its strength.
My Vision and Plan is for Moldova to re-position itself. Turn our smaller size into a strength. The current global pandemic has shown that sometimes, larger countries and economies may become more susceptible to crises that know no borders. Smaller countries may have an opportunity and perhaps even an obligation to help lead the world out of such borderless crises. Precisely because we are smaller, we should take this time to establish a solid foundation for economic growth.
With reform of our financial and judicial systems combined with creating policies that enhance the overall business environment to reward innovation, new energy technologies and flow of funds and ideas through the New Moldova, we can become a neutral Hub for Finance and Innovation, maximize our highly strategic location, and serve as a business-friendly gateway between East and West. I realize that I have not specifically addressed the three steps you are asking about. I have stated before that my Vision Plan provides a holistic approach, but at the risk of oversimplifying, the three steps include
1) Establish the Vision, to provide concrete objectives and equally important provide Hope for our fellow citizens who for the longest time have not dared to dream
2) Provide the roadmap to calibrate each of our essential systems, Financial, Judicial, Commercial and Political to achieve this collective Vision
3) Recruit the brightest and most talented people, both patriotic Moldovans living in our country and Moldovan citizens that have moved elsewhere, to execute the Plan. An additional step which is critical for our future, is to improve our learning centers and education, so that we can ensure that in the future, our most precious national resource are our Citizens.
Q 03: What are the three things that are good about Moldova now – the things that we need to maintain and that we can be proud of?
The first thing I would list is the resilience of Moldovan citizens. While Moldova is a small country, it is diverse in its ethnicity. Crises in the past decades, some natural and many human-made have resulted in Moldova being in relative poverty. Yet, despite the many things that could divide each of us, Moldovan hospitality remains strong. While many citizens in recent history have lost hope for meaningful change, this Moldovan spirit that can still find grace and care, even during difficult times, is something that we should be proud of and never lose. I believe that when citizens of Moldova can finally recognize Hope for meaningful change and a better future, they will show this resilience and we can together build towards such a future. In the future when we will have built a better New Moldova, I hope that new generations will never lose this resilience.
Secondly, which is somewhat related, in everyday life and business, you can see evidence of creativity and entrepreneurial spirit despite difficult economic conditions. Our national wine industry as well as tourism has faced difficult challenges, but that has not stopped domestic businesses from imaginative ideas. Sometimes, under the most difficult circumstances, you may find the highest levels of innovation.
I believe, we can apply this same type of creativity and entrepreneurial business to our country’s future. Lastly, our country boasts a mix of centuries’ old culture, including more recent artistic and architectural achievements including monasteries, churches, as well as Soviet-era buildings and traditional markets. With my Vision, it is expected that our cities will change, and we will modernize. While, some our history may not always invoke pleasant memories, our shared heritage makes us the citizens of Moldova of today; and as we modernize, there is a place to preserve important aspects of our past and culture.
While my focus will be on steering Moldova towards a commercially strong and innovative future, I would also wish to establish an Art and Culture Commission that can help to preserve the most meaningful monuments and memories of our past.
Q 04: What is the biggest obstacle to Moldova’s path to a stronger state and society?
To make meaningful change requires strong leadership on a national level. The biggest problem is that a majority of citizens have lost trust in government. This is a phenomenon that has grown around the world and Moldova is not immune to it. There is a growing sense that career politicians may use or abuse political office for personal gain and corruption among politicians whether perceived or real remains high on the list of citizens’ complaints. Yet to make meaningful change, national leadership needs time and trust from its citizens to implement necessary but sometimes unpopular policies, especially if such policies create or extend hardship in the short-term.
National leadership needs to be able to inspire its citizens to work together and sometimes make short-term sacrifices for the sake of long-term prosperity. Leadership to guide our country to a New Moldova needs to be independent from existing politics and pressure from lobbyists whether domestic or foreign, and financially secure so that it does not need to rely on political office for any personal gain.
Moldova needs a new national leadership that can bring new, original sources of funds into the country and have such funds be securely managed in a stable business environment. I believe that is the type of national leadership that can inspire Moldovan citizens and finally remove the obstacles towards a New Moldova, that is secure and strong.
Q 05: How can Moldova contribute to the fight against the global climate catastrophe that threatens us?
To combat the global threat of climate change, no single voice or action is sufficient. What the Covid-19 pandemic is continuing to teach us that borderless crises require communication and coordination at the highest levels. However, at the same time, any loud and consistent voice from any source can make a difference.
My Vision to shape New Moldova as a neutral, regional Hub for international Finance and Trade as well as a center for research and innovation, includes a plan to establish Moldova as a permanent Center and Forum for international dialogue particular between the critical parties to our East and those to our West.
While our lone voice may not be sufficient, we can increase the volume of our voice by not only supporting but in fact be a driving voice towards a new Climate Accord and invite stakeholders to conduct such dialogue in a neutral but supportive New Moldova.
Q 06: Why should the young generation of Moldova stay in Moldova when they have better wages and a brighter future elsewhere?
It is the responsibility of our country to be able to offer our young generation Hope and a Path to a bright future. The lure of a better future elsewhere is not without its own pitfalls. While more than a million citizens of Moldova have made a life for themselves outside our country and contribute to our country by remitting funds back to family, I believe that some of those Moldovan citizens would eagerly return and our young generation would enthusiastically remain, if our country would be able to offer such Hope and a Path to a bright future.
I would like to use an example from my professional career. I have worked at large corporations with established brands and mature systems as well as at small start-ups with limited funds and structure, but with clear aspirations and a strong plan. Joining such large corporations is like moving away from the present Moldova. The job may be more secure, but not only is there more competition for those jobs, but in my experience, the ability to make a difference is limited. In the small start-up however, the future was less secure and pay at least in the beginning was lower and certainly less stable.
But my impact on the direction of the company was far greater. I was able to make a more significant difference with greater satisfaction. So far, our country has failed to inspire our young generation and citizens of Moldova who have moved elsewhere with any such Hope and Vision that is so critical in a start-up to attract and retain the top talent. But I believe with my Vision for a New Moldova that we can. And not only do I believe that we can, but we must.
Our future relies on talented Moldovan citizens working together towards one goal of a New Moldova that is strong and prosperous.
