Moldova’s National Minorities: Why are they Eurosceptical?

Following the 2014 separatist conflict in Ukraine, observes have worried about the potential for a similar conflict in Moldova that would interrupt the country’s EU association. Indeed, Moldova’s national minorities largely oppose the country’s process of approximation and integration with the European Union. National minorities are concentrated in the provincial regions. While they are comprised of diverse ethnic backgrounds, a majority are Russian -speaking and prefer close ties to the Russian Federation. The paper argues that the roots of Eurosceptic and even separatist rhetoric among national minorities can be expanded by several factors, including center/regional tension and the political entrepreneurship of regional elites more concerned with local socioeconomic than international geopolitics.