Return of a country which does not exist
Signs back from Cold War in Europe with the installation of radars and American missiles on borders of Russia and answers of this last, risk putting again on the front of the stage of the forgotten regions and of conflicts frozen following the implosion of Soviet empire.
Among these last, the Moldovan Republic of Dniestr or Transnistrie, is the closest to us.
Considered to be a region of Moldova, she hopes for 17 years for an international recognition which an independence of Kosovo after that of Montenegro could justify.
With new geopolitical stakes, they will discuss again undoubtedly Moldovan Transnistrie-R publique of Dniestr described here by inside, as seldom in the Western press. Let us wish however the Moldovans of both banks it is in the sense of a compromise, cannot completely be excluded to read nearly the interview granted to our special correspondent by the new vice-president, Alexander Korolev.
Strange impression that that of a country which does not "exist" and where however there are people, from cities, fields, plants, supermarkets, transport, mobile and Internet phones. No land was hidden behind a mysterious waterfall, nor a living museum cryog nis to the Korean of the north, as it is believed sometimes or as it would be possible to let him think of a flag of sickle and hammer. It is is from today's Europe him.
Between Moldova and Ukraine, on 4 km2, almost twice Luxembourg, about 550 speaking inhabitants three different languages with Russian as common language, wait for the end of an uncertainty which mines them, prevents them from making plans and from working normally because nobody admits them, except them the same. They trade nonetheless, travel thanks to other passports, are exploited by their neighbours who use situation but benefit undoubtedly sometimes from their status out of laws because otherwise how to include a situation frozen for ten seven years?
The country has a name or rather several: the Moldovan Republic of Dniestr (a river 1 km long which makes frontier between Ukraine and Moldova) or Transnistrie, that Transdniestrie is sometimes spelt.
Debate begins from the name: Transnistrie is linked from the point of view of Moldova, since the questioned territory is from other one quoted by the river. In fact, he is on both banks and that is why in Russian he was called along Dniestr or Prednistrovie. They will say that Moldovan Republic of Dniestr (RMD), what parried the most neutral, all the more so as Moldova is also "Transdniestrienne" seen by other one to be quoted!
It is with Moldova where there is a problem from 1989-1990 and the first crack which announced the bursting of USSR in 1991. If for the international community , "Prednistrovie" is only a region of Moldova, in fact both parts of this Soviet former republic have a very different history which explains current situation and conflict which in 1992 congealed everything in the blood. (cf. supervised)
A textbook case of the Stalinist treatment of national question
Question is a true textbook case of local conflicts caused by the collapse of USSR with behind melts the cutting up of borders imposed by Stalin to play oppositions between people, to guarantee from levers of power.
Current Moldava and part, today Ukrainian, which gave an access to the Black Sea near Odessa, was called Bessarabie. The Left Bank of Dniestr was not there. It was got from the Ottoman by the Russians from the end of XVIII me century and the rest of Bessarabie-Moldova only at the beginning of XIX me century. Since this epoch, populations of different ethnic groups, religions and nationalities settled on the banks of Dniestr, not always willingly.
After war civil who followed the revolution of 1917, power bolchevique loses Bessarabie but region today transdniestrienne is not part of it. From 1924 till 1940, a Moldovan autonomous Republic is created within the Soviet Republic federated by Ukraine. It is of this period, when it was a full entity, which current RMD estimates to draw the legitimacy.
In 1939, pact Ribbentrop-Molotov allows in USSR to take back foot in Romanian Bessarabie and in 1940, both parts are unified by Stalin under the name of Moldova. Artificially, from point of view at the same time Romanian and transnistrien, for time agreed. Not happy to have created a potential conflict within the new country, Stalin also withdrew him his access to the sea, undoubtedly to create "fraternal" relations with Ukraine.
Hard unification not much but it has the effect that German Nazi let allied Romania occupy this part of Ukraine during world war. At the end of war, Moldova "unified" by Stalin is reconstructed as federated Republic. It keeps his language almost Romanian but spelt in cyrillic characters, contrary to the Romanians. It is one of the current quarrels because in former Ukrainian autonomous Moldovan republic war the cyrillic was used.
The territorial modifications coming from germano-Soviet pact
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The memory of the Romanian occupation, which Transnistriens describes even today as very hard, played a leading role in 1989, when Moldovan nationalist tendencies of besides Dniestr in Kishinev (Chisinau) took a decisive influence and began speaking about unification with Romania.
They linked acts with words by introducing the Romanian tricolour, which immediately recalled the black years, and wanted to make people pass to the Romanian language spelt what's more in Latin characters! The ancient Moldovan was written in cyrillic, according to the Moldovan historians Transnistriens who lean on texts of XVIII me century accounts in the museum of Tiraspol, the capital
The Russian-speaking and ukrainophones of Transnistrie (65 % populations) support this thesis of course and remain tied for the use of their language. They do not like to find themselves foreign in their country, often since generations.
By these very symbolic, linguistic and unbearable measures for roumanophones, moldavo-Romanian nationalist tendencies started in 1989 the process of exit of USSR. Without taking into account really objections of the deputies of the ancient Ukrainian part, emphasise these last. They notably claim a linguistic "exception" to have the right to keep their Russian language, they offer a confederation and forms of autonomy which are very refused.
In reaction, they remain tied in USSR and in Russian language which is a common denominator in this multinational region, contrary in ancient Moldovan more homogeneous Bessarabie. They also have economic arguments because it is in their part of the federated Republic that are the biggest industries and the power stations. And they find an echo irrefutably in their population. This last voted again and again and from 1991 in more than 80 % in favour of an independent state proclaimed the previous year. She was also pushed there by the example of Christian gagaouzes Turks, more in the south, who were also the butt of the nationalist tendencies of the new masters of Chisinau.
And when the deputies coming from Transnistrie and Igor Smirnov, the current president of the autoproclam e Republic, are stopped and kept in Kichinev-Chisinau the purpose of 91, political strikes are followed by great numbers, women block railways.
The whole leads to a war of 40 days very bloody and cruel in 1992 to which puts an end the intervention of the 14th Russian army. This war began with "liquidations" by Moldovan henchmen of political opponents, then stretched by two military offensives in Dubossary and Bendery, pushed back by the population first then by the Russian troops ordered by the general Lebed. The 14th army left since leaving on place a contingent of interposition admitted internationally by about 600 men, according to the officials in Tiraspol.
The war of 92 remains one of the founder pillars, always recalled everywhere, of the Moldovan current Republic of Dniestr today which draws a part of its legitimacy and justifies its relating intransigence.
The worsening of the embargo reanimates a frozen conflict
For last year, the "frozen" conflict many years reanimates. General geopolitical context is not undoubtedly foreign to it. On the ground, come into force measures of economic blockage obliging the firms which export the CIS principally towards Ukraine, Russia and, to make it across Moldova, what compels to road detours and expensive and sometimes unpredictable steps, according to the businessmen questioned in Bendery and Tiraspol.
On the July 1st, 2007, similar measures concerning importation had to come into force. They were cancelled or pushed back a few hours before to be applied. Undoubtedly thanks to secret negotiations between Moscow and Chisinau.
In general, Russia proves to be very careful in comparison with the question of Transnistrie. She supports her contingent of Blue Helmets and brought an interim direct 30 million dollar financial aid after the measures of embargo against Transnistrie but she is careful not to admit independence and handles Moldova carefully distinctly. Far too much to the taste of some representatives for Tiraspol who never say it publicly.
Since March 3rd, 2006, Ukraine, client and main forwarding agent of transnistriennes export which controls the harbour of Odessa, prerequisite, for lack of access to the sea and of absence of workable airport, demands documents of transit aimed by the Moldovan customhouses. It compels to detours by Moldova and of course implicates a double corruption of the Moldovan customhouses and even more it seems to be Ukrainian customhouses. Because, the "authorities" of Transnistrie want hollowing-out not that Moldovan civil servants fulfil acts of sovereignty on their territory.
A system of preferences with variable geometry with the EU
On the other hand, the export by Moldova towards the European Union allows to benefit from the preferential regime which the EU grants in Moldova, admit the businessmen concerned Transnistriens (20 % export). They notice however that the Moldovans do not always allow export and exercise blackmails over some firms. The system of "preferences", worked out by the EU, also envisages a recording of firms in Moldova and therefore controls that the civil servants of Chisinau cannot practise. Added to systems of tax release until 2008, purpose is to create tensions between transnistriennes firms and power installed in Tiraspol.
The questioned businessmen point out that some firms however recorded in Moldova are not authorised to export therefore, without accepting explanation. It is for example the case of the big plant of machine tools of Bendery. They therefore regret this application at the head of the client who indeed compromises the effectiveness of measures cooked up by the EU to help Moldova against Transnistrie. They also maintain that the helps of the European Union calculated and intended however for populations living on the territory of the Left Bank never reach and remain blocked in Chisinau.
As for Ukraine, she would have lost because of these limitations introduced after the coming to power of the orange alliance in Kiev, about 200 million dollars in 2006, according to the Transnistriens officials.
Because the stake of export is fundamental for this region where concentrated the industry in Soviet epoch. Bessarabie was of quoted it, the "poor" province of Romania.
Big plants (machine tools, cement works, textile industries) fed by two power stations which return the redundant "country" in energy, guarantee, at least partly, the economic survival of the non-admitted Republic.
The agriculture also could be thriving thanks to good lands and a favourable climate. But it is strangely abandoned and there is not even ministry of agriculture. Land reform is not made and the status of lands is not undoubtedly final. Food industry is sometimes left in escheat. Question causes debates gripped within the small economic and political world of Tiraspol.
Sanctions had an effect. The leaders of the RMD admit that firms had to give up to work two months last year. That the GDP while keeping an impressive growth in 8 % for 2006, according to the official figures, was not at the level of what it should have been. The same sources announce a 30 % budget deficit in comparison with predictions for 2007. To the Chamber of commerce of the Republic of Dniestr, they assess additional costs d s at additional displacements in about 20 million dollars in transport and in losses for payments. According to CCI, it represents a medium penalty of 3 % on all practiced prices and corrupts competitiveness therefore.
An identical limitation of importation would also have hit all industry of the machine tool which needs components and raw materials and the industry of transformation as the textile industry which benefits from some relocations of Western Europe.
The leaders of Transnistrie and the questioned businessmen maintain that law protects the wage earners who have to receive an income, even if their firm is jobless technical. The businessmen questioned about subject maintain that they came through it by banking loans contracted to the local private banks.
Acceleration of a careful but not very transparent privatisation
Privatisation was slower than in other regions or country of ex-USSR.
And the current leaders emphasise with some pride and by playing on the "nostalgic" feelings s curisants aspects the EX USSR, spread in a lot of the population, that they could avoid grimaces of wild capitalism that knew Russia with for example "Voucherisation" (privatisation at the beginning of the nineties by distribution of valueless "Vouchers" to the population) and of the despoliation of mass which was in order.
Privatisation was really slower and measures of institution of " popular capitalism " or of worker management were sometimes envisaged and applied sincerely in some firms. The participation of the personnel in the capital is quasi generalised but not willy-nilly egalitarian nor equitable. All met people told they had the upper living standard in neighbouring Moldova. But the accusations of privatisation at least not very transparent are common and circles close to power are often suspected of having widely used it.
The budget deficit of last year speeded things up: privatisations intensified.
Considering political isolation, few foreign investors are likely to manifest themselves. And there happen national investors. And even very big investors whose origin of incomes is also not very clear as in the rest of the EX USSR. In spite of sanctions and isolation, there are people rich even in oligarchs in Moldovan Republic of Dniestr.
The most visible and the most amazing is irrefutably holding company " Sheriff ". If an atmosphere western had been wished, it had been difficult to make better! Sheriff is present everywhere in Transnistrie and contributes irrefutably to a picture of modernity and even of ease: BTP, telecommunications, transport, produced oil tankers and gasoline pumps, pub and edition, sale of cars (of which Mercedes), supermarkets, football club with a fabulous ultramodern stadium, textile plants and even supporting plant of the brandy (locally cognac) named Kvint.
Holding company was created in 1994, but really took its takeoff in 2002 with the privatisation of firms, then in 2003 at the time when Moldova cut telephone wires, forcing " the country " to turn to satellites and systems of mobile telephony. It is 14 wage earners and 11 % budgets of the Moldovan Republic of Dniestr today. But an absolute mystery reigns over shareholding and origin of the money. When representatives of Sheriff, generally young dynamic people very commercial frames in the Western are questioned, they answer you at best that they would say to you stupidity if they achieved your request, while it is better to say nothing The Moldovan and Western sources maintain that one of the threads of the president Igor Smirnoff would be one of the owners of Sheriff.
On place, only heard smiles answer questions on subject.
Such mystery contributes of course to suspicion and mistrusts encircling Transnistrie and are only bringing some water in the mill of accusations hurled notably to Chisinau against the coterie of Smirnoff . Transnistrie is regularly accused of arms dealing and drug (cf Interview Korolev).
As journalists, it is possible to gain permission to visit some of the most accused plants and to see the ancient Soviet airport, pervaded by grasses but out of experts' mission nothing can be proved.
The Transnistriens leaders tell they are ready for it. They accuse in their turn influential Moldovan families of various traffic, notably metals, which would explain their interest for the plants of Transnistrie and the difficulty in finding a compromise.
A presidential State which works but in uncertain future
Igor Smirnoff was reelected president of the Republic in December, 2006 with a new vice-president Alexander Korolev, widely received as the dolphin (cf interview). There are several candidates for elections and a parliamentary and extra-parliamentary opposition exists. The system is presidential in the American style. Not really democratic, all the more so as everybody knows himself more or less in the region, but not totalitarian either. In comparison with Soviet epoch, the inhabitants are not afraid and express themselves rather freely even to criticise their leaders publicly. Different media exists and the access to television channels by satellite and to Internet is free. Journalistic practices are sometimes fragrant with ancient traditions, notably when they make, to foreign guests, say what he is considered useful to hear
The flag and the national emblem, straight inherited from ancient Soviet Moldova with sickle and hammer, does not mean more that they are in frozen mini-USSR. The embargo and the seat did not isolate a region from the world where the form of property and the organisation of power evolved in comparison with bygone USSR. The ancient symbols are there to mark a continuity assuring a legitimacy and guaranteeing a possible legal argumentation for future.
This last is hardly imagined by the whole population and nobody wants to stay in current situation there. But the auto-proclaimed and not admitted State showed its viability and often its effectiveness for 17 years. He irrefutably proved his feature, or even an identity, in comparison with Moldova which considers him to be a simple region. And he benefits irrefutably from a real support of his population which takes part in the frequent practices of referendum.
The inhabitants of this country which does not exist are obviously ready to envisage evolutions but undoubtedly not at the price of their autonomy and their right to use their language. Their identity is linked to their ethnic, national and even linguistic diversity and they will refuse to be allowed to drown by a "Romanian" majority. The reunification with Moldova also collides unlike living standard and organisation between both banks. There are not enough chances that moldavo-dniestriens is allowed to dispossess their industries and energy levers of power which they have regarding Chisinau.
As for current geopolitical factors, they depend hardly on inhabitants of Transnistrie: Russian advanced base in Europe facing radars and American missiles displayed in countries of Eastern Europe? Independent State like Kosovo and its fellow-sufferers of ex-USSR as Abkhazia, Ossetia of the south or Nagorny Karabakh? Pure and simple and violent annexation by Moldova supported by external allies?
All options remain opened and chances to hear soon about the Moldovan Republic of Dniestr, said Transnistrie, are unfortunately rather strong.
Article posted by Dimitri de Kochko
Written by admin one November 24th, on 2007 with no comments.
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