Depopulation Impact on Political Life and Legitimacy of Unrecognized States (Case of Transnistria)
Rapid depopulation, which affected vast regions of Central and Eastern Europe, has long-term consequences not only for their socioeconomic, but also political development. For the unrecognized polities, the ability to retain the population has become an important criterion for successfully competing with the parent states for the loyalty of citizens, the legitimacy of political regimes and claims to sovereignty. The objective of the paper is to consider the impact of depopulation on the socioeconomic situation and political life of the unrecognized Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (Transnistria, PMR) in comparison with the Republic of Moldova (RM). On the basis of official statistics, the authors compare the rates, factors and reasons for the population decrease in the PMR and RM. Shown are the consequences of depopulation typical for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and specific for Transnistria and Moldova. The assessment of migration losses in general for these territories and for their regions demonstrates that the population outflow in Transnistria began earlier and was more intensive than from the RM. In Moldova, depopulation intensifies the identity crisis and contradictions between the “Moldovenists” and supporters of unification with Romania, in the PMR—instability of political life, uncertainty of the region's prospects and the growth of a critical attitude towards the authorities.