eopolitical Choice in Relation to Ethnic Identity. The Case of the Gagauz and Bulgarian Communities in the Republic of Moldova

The deliberate choice regarding the Republic of Moldova's strategic orientation toward future European integration has been neither a straightforward process nor one that achieved irreversibility during the subsequent decades. Republic of Moldova is situated on the border periphery of both the EU and NATO, while simultaneously remaining within a contested space of persistent Russian influence. The purpose of the research is to analyze a possible connection between the antagonistic dimension (East-West) of geopolitical options and public perceptions related to the identity dimension. This leads to a dimension of the evolution of public perception, seen both antagonistically by positioning itself in the proximity of a geopolitical fault that runs through Moldovan society and the diametrically opposite geopolitical positioning in relation to identity. In particular, through the specific objective we aim to verify whether the Gagauz and Bulgarian communities manifest distinct geopolitical preferences that diverge from the state’s dominant external orientation. Furthermore, we investigate the potential development of discernible patterns in the shaping of public perceptions within the Republic of Moldova that are fundamentally linked to specific identity constructs.