Poll: More than half Romanians oppose unification with Moldova

54% of Romanians are opposed tothe notion of uniting with Moldova, while showed that 33% of respondents supported while it, a survey of the Romanian Avangarde research group shows.

Asked if Moldova should join NATO, Romanians were split, with 31% being in favor, 40% being against, and 29% would rather not say.

In case of a military invasion of Russia in the Republic of Moldova, 29% of the respondents believe that “Romania should help the Moldovan state with troops”, 56% do not support this idea, and 15% avoided an answer. With regard to helping with military equipment, 48% would support it, 35% would oppose it and 17% cannot appreciate it.

46% of the respondents believe that Moldova's population is divided in half between "pro-Western" and "pro-Russian".

Another poll, conducted a month earlier, shows that in Moldova over 60% of respondents are against the reunification of Moldova and Romania.

In March 2023, the Parliament of Moldova voted conclusively to replace the so-called "Moldovan language" with "Romanian language" in national legislation. The issue of unification of the two countries has been raised repeatedly in recent years.

Serbia mourns school shooting victims

Serbia is in mourning after the May 3 school shooting. A 13-year-old boy killed eight classmates and a security guard at a school in Belgrade, while a teacher and six other students were injured. A national three-day mourning period starting on Friday has been announced. Parents, students and citizens are placing flowers, toys at the site of the incident and lighting candles in respect for the victims, RTS reported. Many lined up outside the Blood Transfusion Institute to donate blood for the victims.

The boy was admitted to a psychiatric institution for an evaluation, and a toxicology test returned negative, authorities said on Thursday. Under Serbian law he is too young to be held criminally liable. "The problem in Serbia is that we deal with prevention rarely, sporadically and after tragedies," Ivana Radovanovic from the Police Forensic Academy told RTS. According to her, the tragedy could have been prevented by addressing the child who felt rejected and ignored.

Hours before a national mourning was declared in Serbia, 8 more people lost their lives and others were injured in the villages of Dubona and Shepshin. A 21-year-old youth is under suspicion for the act.

With high unemployment in Greece, employers suffer from lack of workers

In March, Greece ranked second among European countries in the number of unemployed. Young people and women are the worst affected, BNR correspondent Katya Peeva reports. 508 000 Greeks have not found jobs in Greece's labour market and are heading to other European countries in the hope of better pay and working conditions. At the same time, 9 out of 10 employers cannot find enough workers due to low pay and the part-time work on offer. Farmers hire workers from as far away as Thailand. Tourism is also facing a crisis of skilled workers. Even the increase in the minimum wage from April to EUR 780 has failed to address the situation.

Turkey ranks 165th in freedom of speech among 180 countries

Turkey slipped 16 positions down in the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index 2023, ranking 165th among 180 countries.

In 2022, the crackdown on journalists was worse than ever. Arbitrary trials of journalists, mass arrests, restrictions on internet access and punitive fines by Turkey's media regulator have all increased ahead of the 14 May 2023 elections, according to Turkish news website Bianet.

At the time President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party came to power in 2002, Turkey ranked 99th in the World Press Freedom Index, BTA recalled.

Compiled by: Miglena Ivanova

English version: Elizabeth Radkova

Photos: Photo: EPA/BGNES, Reuters, romania-insider.com, turkey.postsen.com