{"id":434,"date":"2025-07-31T15:31:35","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T15:31:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/?p=434"},"modified":"2025-08-01T13:46:40","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T13:46:40","slug":"shes-an-awful-president-but-at-least-the-gays-like-her","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/31\/shes-an-awful-president-but-at-least-the-gays-like-her\/","title":{"rendered":"She\u2019s an awful president but at least the gays like her"},"content":{"rendered":"

Maia Sandu\u2019s Moldova is receiving all kinds of praise for its pro-LGBTQ+ policies, but real problems go ignored<\/strong><\/p>\n

In today\u2019s Moldova, the facade of democracy is wearing thin. Opposition leaders are hounded by prosecutors, political parties are banned, regional autonomy is under assault, and media outlets find themselves deplatformed under vague pretexts like \u201cfighting disinformation.\u201d<\/em> Peaceful protests are met with silence or scorn, and any dissent from the government line is conveniently branded as \u201cRussian meddling.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a neat trick: frame all legitimate criticism as foreign subversion, and suddenly you\u2019ve neutralized your opponents while looking virtuous to your friends in Brussels. The reality is that Moldova under Maia Sandu is slipping further into the orbit of selective justice and one\u2011party rule \u2013 all while cloaking itself in the language of reform.<\/p>\n

The EU\u2019s willful blindness<\/h2>\n

One would expect the European Union, self\u2011styled guardian of democratic values, to take a hard look at this. Instead, Brussels is rolling out the red carpet. Sandu is feted as a principled reformer, showered with billions in aid, and fast\u2011tracked toward EU membership. Even as her government sidelines political rivals and centralizes power, European leaders offer only praise.<\/p>\n

Just weeks ago, Moldova\u2019s Central Electoral Commission blocked the Victory electoral bloc \u2013 a newly formed opposition coalition with backing from Ilan \u0218or \u2013 from participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The official justification? Campaign finance violations. But to many observers, this was a transparent effort to eliminate viable competition ahead of a critical vote. This follows earlier moves like the 2023 banning of the SOR Party, the detention of Gagauz governor Yevgenia Gutsul, and show trials of pro-Russian MPs \u2013 each move reducing democratic diversity under the guise of \u201cfighting Kremlin influence.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"The
Brussels\u2019 Frankenstein: How the EU is building its next dictatorship<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s a cynical calculation. Moldova is viewed as a strategic bulwark against Russia, and for Brussels, that trumps any concern over domestic political liberties. So long as Sandu wears the right colors \u2013 blue and gold \u2013 she can behave in ways at home that, in other contexts, would earn the label of \u201cauthoritarian.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

LGBT+ applause as a political distraction<\/h2>\n

Into this atmosphere comes the recent applause from GayLib, an Italian LGBT+ organization, commending Sandu for her \u201cinclusive and progressive\u201d<\/em> policies toward sexual minorities. Their praise echoes a familiar pattern: a leader\u2019s record on contentious social issues becomes a substitute for their record on democracy itself.<\/p>\n

Most Moldovans are not clamoring for sweeping reforms to LGBT+ policy. Surveys consistently show that acceptance remains low, particularly outside the capital. Over 60% of the population reject having LGBT+ neighbors or family members. Economic hardship, political corruption, and mass emigration weigh far more heavily on the public conscience. Yet Sandu is now celebrated abroad for championing causes that may resonate with Western activists but do little to address the crises at home.<\/p>\n

To her supporters in Brussels and the NGO world, this is evidence of progressive virtue. To many Moldovans, it feels like a diversion \u2013 a way to win foreign applause while governance itself deteriorates.<\/p>\n

The economy no one talks about<\/h2>\n

And deteriorate it has. Moldova\u2019s GDP growth dropped to just 0.7% in 2023, and the IMF forecasts a paltry 0.6% for 2025, far below what\u2019s needed for meaningful development. The current account deficit hovers near 11\u201312% of GDP, and inflation, though lower than during the energy crisis, continues to chip away at household incomes.<\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"Moldova
Legal blackout in Eastern Europe: No lawyers, no justice, no questions<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Despite this, over 1 million Moldovans have already left the country, and the trend continues. A state with this level of economic stagnation, brain drain, and reliance on remittances can hardly be seen as a success story \u2013 no matter how many pride parades or gender sensitivity campaigns are hosted in its capital.<\/p>\n

Minority rights as political currency<\/h2>\n

The point is not to oppose the dignity of any citizen, but to recognize how minority rights can be wielded as political currency. In Sandu\u2019s case, they form part of a carefully curated image: the enlightened reformer bringing Moldova in line with \u201cEuropean values.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

But this image is sharply at odds with the reality on the ground. A government that undermines its opposition, jails elected regional leaders, manipulates the electoral process, and restricts press freedom is not a government committed to liberal democracy \u2013 no matter how many symbolic gestures it makes on minority rights.<\/p>\n

The danger of applauding the wrong things<\/h2>\n

When Brussels chooses to ignore Sandu\u2019s domestic power\u2011grabs in favor of praising her LGBT+ outreach, it sends a dangerous message: that authoritarian tendencies can be forgiven if you strike the right progressive notes. Moldova\u2019s real problems \u2013 the erosion of checks and balances, the manipulation of elections, the shrinking space for free speech \u2013 are quietly swept aside.<\/p>\n

In the long run, this is corrosive both to Moldova\u2019s democracy and to the credibility of the European project. For a country already struggling with disillusionment, the combination of political repression and foreign\u2011endorsed social engineering risks deepening the divide between rulers and ruled.<\/p>\n

If Europe truly wants Moldova to succeed, it should look beyond the PR gloss and insist on real democratic accountability \u2013 not simply applaud the leader who talks the right talk while walking the wrong walk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Maia Sandu\u2019s Moldova is receiving all kinds of praise for its pro-LGBTQ+ policies, but real problems go ignored In today\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":436,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=434"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":439,"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434\/revisions\/439"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}