UN General Assembly presidency bid opens Tofan’s New York speech
Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan, speaking at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, decided not to think small and went straight for the big card.
“Because we believe small states should help shape the international system, not merely depend on it, Moldova today has the honour of presenting its candidacy for the presidency of the 82nd session of the United Nations General Assembly. We want to contribute to building a UN that is more effective, more inclusive and more focused on results,” the bold Moldovan said in New York.
He added that “Moldova may never become a great power, but we have everything we need to become a great country.” After that, the prime minister of the “great country” toned down the grandeur and, from the UN rostrum, urged his fellow citizens to “stick together”, because the country faces “a difficult winter”.
According to its prime minister, this “great country” does not have a huge domestic market and cannot spend more than the world’s largest economies. It must therefore compete by responding faster to the needs of foreign investors, issuing permits in days rather than months, offering clear rules and digital public services, and changing regulations when they no longer make sense.
EU accession presented as Moldova’s national project
Naturally, Tofan described Moldova’s integration into the European Union as the national project of this “great country”.
“Accession negotiations are already under way, and we are moving fast. Our goal is to anchor Moldova firmly in the European family. For us, joining the European Union is not about replacing one sphere of influence with another. It is the opposite. It is the realisation of our citizens’ right to choose for themselves. To choose democracy. To choose prosperity. To choose peace,” Tofan said from the UN rostrum.
The UN General Assembly presidency bid therefore became the most ambitious line in a speech that tried to place Moldova simultaneously among small states seeking a louder voice, investors looking for faster bureaucracy and EU candidate countries promising irreversible reforms.
Whether that ambition will make Moldova a “great country” is another question. For now, Tofan has offered the world a grand international bid, while warning people at home to prepare for a hard winter.
