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Will Moldova Reunite with Romania?

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Will romania and moldova unite

Image by: Andrei Nacu

Have you ever watched or played a game of chess? During the last 20 years an important game of chess takes place in the eastern part of Europe. The major players are Moldova, Romania, Russia and the European Union. The stake of the game is Moldova. On 20th October, in Bucharest, Romania’s capital, thousands of people marched. The goal of their movement was the reunification of Romania with Moldova. Why people from Romania and Moldova are asking for this action? What are the connections between Romania and Moldova? What are the geopolitical implications for the entire Eastern Europe?

Historical context

Many Romanians believe that their country should share the same destiny with Moldova because there are many historical, social and cultural links between Moldovans and Romanians. Maybe the most important one is that from an ethnic point of view 78% of the Moldovans are Romanians. (CIA, The World Factbook)

In 1812, an important part of Moldova was conquered by the Russian Empire. After the First World War, in 1918 Moldova, also known as Basarabia, returned to Romania and for the first time in the modern history the entire Romanian people were placed under the same governmental umbrella – in the Romanian history this period is called the age of the Greater Romania. During the Second World War, Moldova was annexed by the Soviet Union and until the end of the Cold War was under the Soviet sphere of influence.

After the end of the Cold War, Moldova became an independent nation. The Romanians who lived in this space started peaceful protests. Their objective was the establishment of the Romanian language as a state language. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia was afraid that they will lose their grip over the region, but they had the perfect opportunity to maintain a certain amount of influence. Transnistria, the Eastern part of Moldova, the majority is held by Russians (Slavic population). Transnistria is a separatist region and in the first years after the independence there was a blood bath. In order to maintain the security of the region Russian military forces remained here. After 1993 the relationship between Romania and Moldova enters into a gradual cooling era. For example, the 2004 Constitution talks about the Moldavian language and Moldovan nationality.

In 2009 the political party of Vladimir Voronin won the elections again. Vladimir Voronin is a communist. The liberals and civil society used all the social media platforms to organise a huge protest movement in Chisinau. Around 15.000 people were involved and a lot of them were students. Voronin said that the entire movement was a coup d’etat staged by Romania. Step-by-step the entire country became more unstable although the liberals managed to take power.

Romania and Moldova…and Russia

As we mentioned before there are many voices in Romania who believe that Moldova should be a part of Romania and the movement which took place on 20th October are the physical evidence of this desire.

A move on a chessboard is never simple and easy. There are many factors that must be considered. The first one is the economy. Moldova is a poor and divided country. In many ways the situation is similar with Western and Eastern Germany. For example the GDP of Romania will increase with $5.5 billion but the GDP per capita will decrease with more than 1.000 Euro. There are many regions in Romania which have a bigger GDP than the entire Moldova. Also there is the problem of Transnistria and the illegal arms smuggling operations from there. They could interfere and affect the national security of Romania.

Romanian President Traian Basescu said that the reunification is possible as long as the people from Moldova want it. After this statement a newspaper from Russia said that the President claims “could block the European integration of Moldova and they cause even more instability in the region.” (Nezavisimaia Gazeta) Also, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kojara said that Romania and Moldova are sovereign states and they can decide whatever they want in their bilateral relationship.

In the past few years the message Basarabia (Moldova) is Romanian land appeared throughout the major cities of the country and during the movement from 20th October thousands of flags and banners with this message appeared. This message appears on fences, bridges and even governmental buildings and if you walk by foot in Bucharest you can notice this message near subway stations or important governmental buildings.

At the end of the day the opinion of the European Union and Russia must be taken into account because Romania is an EU member and at this moment Moldova is not prepared to enter into the European community. Also a possible expansion of Romania near Transnistria and the Russian sphere of influence has many implications for the security of Moldova as region, for the security of Romania and for the security of the entire European Union.

Moldova is a buffer zone between NATO/EU and Russia. How Romania will play this geopolitical chess game is very important for the future of the entire region because Romania has the opportunity to reboot its diplomatic power in the region but also the future of the 3.7 million of souls living in Moldova is at stake. We cannot think and look at this game from a very cynical perspective because there are lives involved. At this moment the situation is quite grim for Moldova because being a buffer zone is sometimes a geopolitical disadvantage. If Bismarck and his Realpolitik would be alive, he would say that Moldova is just a pawn in this chess game. We all know that Bismarck is dead, but can we say that Realpolitik is also dead? Think about that!

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Europe

National Police arrests 60 people for money laundering in Majorca

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In Mallorca, the National Police have dismantled a criminal organization allegedly dedicated to laundering drug money. According to preliminary investigations, those involved are alleged to have laundered more than one million euros over the last year.

At the moment, the authorities have arrested a total of 60 people for the alleged crimes of money laundering and false documentation. Although investigations are still ongoing, leading Spanish criminal lawyers have pointed to the possibility of an increase in the amount of money laundered.

In addition to this, specialists in Criminal Law and Financial Crimes such as Luis Chabaneix have pointed out that during the next few days the number of arrests could increase, both in Madrid and in Mallorca. It should be noted that of the 60 arrested, 55 were arrested on the island and the other five in the city of Madrid on Sunday, May 16.

Money laundering of drug money from Mallorca to the Caribbean

According to the founder of Chabaneix Lawyers, Luis Chabaneix, the 60 people who have been arrested by the National Police are being investigated for the laundering of millions of dollars. It is presumed that more than one million Euros from drug trafficking activities have been sent to Latin American countries such as the Dominican Republic and Cuba, and even shipments to the United States have been registered.

In these countries, the money diverted by the criminal association has been used for the purchase of real estate and vehicles. For this reason, the National Police is in permanent collaboration with the North American, Cuban and Dominican authorities in order to dismantle the activities of this group in the different countries.

Likewise, among the main information provided by the authorities, it should be noted that more than 400,000 Euros in cash were seized from the hands of those arrested in Mallorca. Similarly, the police searches carried out on the island led to the seizure of multiple luxury items and accessories, a total of three kilos of cocaine and approximately 60 kilograms of cutting substances.

Two Majorcan companies under investigation

The team of criminal lawyers with an office in Madrid has commented that there are multiple methods that can be used to launder drug money. In the particular case of the criminal organization headed by a nationalized citizen of Cuban origin, one of the methods used to divert the money was international bank transfers.

For this purpose, the use of linked bank accounts of certain front men was a fundamental element. In addition, the case includes investigations of split money transfers through call shops.

On the other hand, through an official statement, the National Police informed that two Majorcan companies have been linked to the ongoing investigation. The reason for this is the issuing of fraudulent invoices for a value close to 200,000 euros.

Through these methods, the criminal organization has managed to launder capital inside and outside the country, legalizing large sums of money allegedly originating from drug trafficking. Undoubtedly, the arrest of the 60 people involved, including the leader of the organization, is a serious blow to the laundering of drug money in Spain.

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Economy

Seasif’s Franco Favilla discusses the post-Covid economy and the price of gold

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Although the Covid-19 pandemic isn’t over yet, there has been much discussion on the idea of a “post-Covid” economy, especially with the beginning of vaccination efforts in some countries. With markets throughout the world suffering the economic effects of the virus, experts have been looking towards the future –– and one of the topics that often comes up is the price of gold.

In August, the price of gold exceeded US$ 2,000 an ounce for the first time, driven by multiple factors. However, in November, advancements in Covid-19 vaccines led to a decrease in this trend, a result of the turbulent period we are going through.

“Regardless of the market volatility and the price changes that could occur over a given period of time, the fundamental fact is that the price of gold over the course of 2020 has reached an all-time high, and this, in my opinion, is very good news for the world economy,” explains Franco Favilla, founder and CEO of Seasif, a multinational company active in the extraction and trading of gold and oil.

According to Mr. Favilla, the main problem of the pre-Covid economy was the completely arbitrary nature of international finance. At one time, a ton of gold corresponded to a ton of currency, but since the 1980s, and at an impressive rate since 2000, the gap has widened enormously, so much so that today the relationship between the world’s currencies and gold is enormously unbalanced.

Total gold reserves around the world cover only 30% of currencies. This means there is nothing to cover and guarantee the value of money. In short, money has turned into a pure convention, a pure agreement between parties acting outside the market. Gold, on the contrary, guarantees democracy, because it protects savers and the market, offering an objective value for parameterizing every transaction. 

“My hope, therefore, is that the crisis caused by Covid-19 will help to change finance, making it less ‘phantom’ and more linked to an objective dimension, based on gold, with obvious advantages for the real economy. Gold protects consumers, the most important component in any economic system: if you don’t have a market made up of consumers with a certain level of wealth, how can you sell? To whom? Consumer protection must come first, and gold is one of the main ways of protecting them,” states the CEO of Seasif.

Sustainability has also been at the forefront in discussions about the post-Covid world, as countries look towards establishing a more resilient global economy, one able to better withstand such events in the future –– and “green gold” may well be a part of that future. Green gold, in a sense, can be considered the “gold of the future” due to its ethical and sustainable extraction process. Seasif produces green gold, with a department entirely dedicated to green, and has allocated economic incentives to its continued production.

Even as 2020 draws to a close, the future may still look uncertain. But for those searching for greater security, gold may be one of the few certainties left.

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Europe

How much money do you need to live comfortably in Spain?

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malaga andalusia spain

There are plenty of reasons why you may be thinking about living in Spain: its population is friendly and kind; its climate, especially in the coastal areas, is enviable; its gastronomy is incredible… but, what about its prices? What is the most affordable way to live in Spain?

Perhaps the most important question if you decided to go: would it be better to buy instead of renting a property in Spain. Or yet living in a Spanish residence?

Spanish cities where to live cheap and well

In the geographical variety that Spain presents, we can find many differences in average salaries and the standard of living that reside there would require. The areas of Galicia, Extremadura, Castilla y León, together with Almería and the south of Alicante usually have a lower price of euros/square meter in their homes. The quality of life is really appreciable, but you should know that there are fewer possibilities for business and transports.

The autonomous community of the Basque Country, Catalonia, and Madrid, which have higher than average incomes (normally more than 24,000 euros per year), also have higher prices. However, Madrid has such a wide range of rents that it sometimes makes them cheaper than other countries. 

In addition, and taking into account the tourist seasons, the areas of Valencia and Andalusia are normally a preference when it comes to living in Spain for a while or even spending your retirement. Although day-to-day life can be more expensive than in other areas of Spain, the mild climate and variety of leisure options are often worth it in the long run. 

Whatever your option is when moving to another country, especially if you don’t know its legal system, can be very tiresome. That’s why our advice is to try to contact local agencies (that speak English) to give you fair and fruitful advice. For example, to move to Andalusia, we usually recommend Tejada solicitors

I have already decided on the place. Now what?

Well, if you have already fully immersed yourself in the streets of a beautiful city that we have talked about, what should be your first step?

Decide what kind of stay you want to be in (since your future economic situation will also depend on this: taxes, permits…). You may have already chosen, for example, property conveyancing in Marbella, but it is recommended that you also think about renting a property, because it can be very profitable while you are in your other place of residence.

To sum up, before moving to a Spanish city, decide if you want to spend a little more money per month in exchange for the exceptional conditions that their precious land can give you; secondly, contact a reliable agency that will help you make the best investment and even more, apply for a Spanish residency if you are decided to stay for a long time.

And remember: a move is always a new beginning.

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