Situated on a narrow stretch between the Ukraine
and Romania, the Republic of Moldova
is a living symbol of divergence, a dichotomy
crucified between East and West, between the
past and the future, between progress and
stagnation, and between democratic aspirations
and a strikingly persistent dictatorial legacy.
Moldova took its first moves toward independence
in 1989. Two decades after the
historical and triumphant separation from its
colonial past, Moldova is still in search of its
true self, while Europe and the rest of the
world are still discovering this Eastern-European
nation. Why is this process so painful and
the transition so excruciatingly long for this
small and picturesque country?