摩尔多瓦的腐败阻碍了欧洲未来的发展

Moldova's Corruption² Blocking Its Path to European Future 摩尔多瓦的腐败阻碍了欧洲未来的发展

CHISINAU, MOLDOVA—

Corruption scandals have tainted³ Moldova's pro-European leadership and boosted support for pro-Russia parties that argue for closer ties with its Soviet-era ally, Moscow.

Moldova's pro-Russia parties say the West for years supported corrupt¹ Europe-leaning politicians running the country, and therefore, they argue, a re-alignment with Moscow is the way forward.

Igor Dodon, a protest leader with Moldova’s Socialist⁴ Party, has a photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin on his office wall and makes no secret about which direction he wants to see his country take.

“The strategic interest of Moldova is [solving] the economic problems and the country's integrity,” he told VOA. “This objective can be achieved only in strategic partnership⁵ with the Russian Federation⁶.”

At an outdoor market in central Chisinau, vendors⁷ sell Russian nesting dolls as well as T-shirts with images of President Putin appearing tough and chastising⁸ European leaders and U.S. President Barack Obama.

Moldova's prime minister, Pavel Filip, in an exclusive interview with VOA, acknowledges corrupt politicians have tainted his country's EU integration⁹,.

“Unfortunately, the European path was exploited by some politicians in Moldova, which is why today we are in the situation to regain¹⁰ the trust of our external partners through actions,” he said.

The European Union froze budget funds to Moldova after a billion dollars disappeared from banks. Some officials have been replaced or arrested, including a former prime minister, but the money has yet to be found.

Meanwhile, protest groups have been calling for new elections and systemic reforms to remove EU-leaning, but oligarch-backed political elite¹¹ who have been ruling the country since the communists lost power in 2009.

Filip disagrees that Russia offers a better path.

“Moldova has made its choice with the signing of the EU Association Agreement. We believe that Moldova's path to economic development is better to coincide with the European path,” he said.

Harboring problems

Many in Moldova criticize both the former and current governments as harboring corruption; but, even some political parties that agree Moldova's system is broken say Europe is still the country's future.

Andrei Nastase, a protest leader with the Dignity and Truth Party, argues many politicians leaning to either side of the debate are opportunists rather than principled believers.

“From the political point of view, the so-called "pro-Russia parties" benefited from the discrediting¹² of the EU integration idea by the current so-called "pro-European parties," he said.

While public support for a European path remains¹³ high, a demographic crisis is on the horizon as many Moldovan youth take advantage of EU visa-free travel to leave for better opportunities.

At a young entrepreneurs seminar in Chisinau about business with Europe, participants and organizers admit the temptation is there to escape Moldova’s problems.

“Because we are still in the process of development and we are still in the process of building our democracy and our free market and everything,” said Alexandrina Robu with the Youth European Business Association Moldova. “So, it is difficult, but nobody will build our country except us."

Some at the seminar still see opportunity at home in a Moldova that remains on the European path.

Varlam Cristina is developing a crowdfunding platform for Moldovan start-ups and charity projects.

“I believe that Moldova's future is in the EU, but there is a long process before we can join. The government is resisting it, there is an administrative¹⁴ side to it. But, we see development, innovation and democracy in the EU, so this is the direction we have to follow,” she said.

Moldova's young entrepreneurs say enforcing European laws and standards would help reverse the flow, but a changing of the old guard may first be needed.

1 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

2 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

3 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

5 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

6 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

7 vendors   

n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方

参考例句：

• The vendors were gazundered at the last minute. 卖主在最后一刻被要求降低房价。
• At the same time, interface standards also benefIt'software vendors. 同时，界面标准也有利于软件开发商。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

8 chastising   

v.严惩（某人）（尤指责打）( chastise的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Jo was chastising his teddy bear in the living room. 乔在起居室里严厉地惩罚他的玩具小狗熊。 来自辞典例句

9 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

10 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

11 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

12 discrediting   

使不相信( discredit的现在分词 )； 使怀疑； 败坏…的名声； 拒绝相信

参考例句：

• It has also led to the discrediting of mainstream macroeconomics. 它还使得人们对主流宏观经济学产生了怀疑。

13 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

14 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。