Returning Young Moldovan Diaspora Powers EU Membership Dream

Chisinau, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st May, 2023 ) :Mihai Lupascu is one of many young, like-minded Moldovans, who recently decided to move back home after living abroad for years, in a growing effort to support the country's EU membership bid.

As one of Europe's poorest nations -- nestled between Romania and war-ravaged Ukraine -- the country of 2.6 million people has been struggling with an evolving diaspora, which estimates say accounts for a third of its eligible voters.

But Russia's war next door and Moldova's charismatic pro-European President Maia Sandu seem to have reversed the fatal trend.

Even though no official numbers exist, more and more Moldovans have recently returned home to contribute to the country's efforts to join the bloc as quickly as possible after securing official candidate status in June 2022.

"We are living in a true historic moment in Moldova and I felt the need to give something back and contribute to a change at home," said Lupascu, 33, who returned to his country of birth in April after working in France for over a decade.

As state secretary for the Economic Development and Digitalization Ministry, Lupascu hopes to "build the strong and independent democratic institutions" needed to make the EU dream come true "in the near future".

"The phenomenon of Maia Sandu... was a sign that things can be changed even when we thought everything is lost," Lupascu described one of his many motivations to return to Moldova.

He also credited Sandu, in office since 2020, for reinstalling "honest politicians" and inspiring many "to get involved in political life in Moldova".