Members of political parties affiliated with the fugitive politician Ilan Shor today came together in Moscow for a convention of the unregistered “Victorie-Победа” bloc. The event was attended by MP Vasile Bolea, who announced his intention to run for president with the support of the bloc, which has been denied registration by the electoral authority.

Ilan Shor declared at the convention that “the only way” forward for Moldova is to once again “be together with Russia” and join the Eurasian Economic Union. “The presidential election and the referendum is a decisive day, in which our bloc’s candidate must emerge victorious”, he added.

Taking the floor, Vasile Bolea said that Moldova would be better off as a presidential republic.

“I was a professional athlete in the past, I competed for teams from the most diverse countries. But each of them had this one person responsible for success or failure, for victory or defeat. And this was the coach. Because success starts with personal responsibility. It starts with personality. With a person who is ready to lead, inspire, set goals, but also avoid hiding in case of failure. Also, a country must a person who knows how to reach a goal. A person who does not babble democratic excuses, but is personally responsible for what he says and does. And I am ready to be that person for the whole country”, declared Vasile Bolea.

The lawmaker went on to question the benefits of European integration, claiming that Moldova will only stand to lose. “Our market will be taken over by Western companies with whom we will not be able to compete, and we will be exploited. Exploited to fight Russia. We are an intermediary between the hammer and the anvil. This is the only reason why Europe needs us for”, said Bolea.

The decision to deny Victorie-Победа registration was appealed against, but a ruling is yet to be pronounced. Meanwhile, a district court today banned Șansă Party, a constituent of the bloc, for three months.