The symbolism plays an important role in the political battle, especially when the symbols embodies emotion and human experience, a mechanism much more important than money and pragmatic approach, mercantile, cynical. Indeed, with excitement and hope, with confidence and dedication, by sharing out of you for the common good, it can be achieved far more than from wasting money all around some mercenaries who do not believe in the goals, visions and perspectives only until they spend the received wages.

Well, this was very clearly shown by the presidential election: a candidate with no chances, with financial capacity reduced to zero (at least compared to his rival the pro-Russian socialist) without media support, only with image and coagulating the hopes of the pro-European opposition, was close to defeat the conjugate mechanism of a party machinery, backed up by the intervention of the Russian Church, of the separatist voters who were sent on mission to vote under threat of unemployment, of mobilization and of Russian machinery of informational warfare, and not without a subtle support, as it is necessary for Dodon not take too much momentum, of the consecrated decision maker oligarch, the main character in the stories about the captive State of Maia Sandu's voters.

However, contrary to expectations for the launch of a right wing platform and for marking electoral gains, Maia Sandu and her PAS disappeared in silence for months. More seriously, she does not stop to be silent. A few appearances, rather unstructured positions and by attacking insignificant, marginal and even wrong topics - meal coupons, for example - and ignoring serious placements, of force, of categorical and clear decisions, of inspiring and decisive messages that generate the coagulation of her electorate. So, that the sayings about hard work in the territory for the construction of political organizations and institutional strengthening of PAS seems a story drawn from wishful thinking. It does not mean that the approach is not serious and credible, only the absence of the tip of the iceberg from the public speaking raises doubts.

There is a famous joke of the Transylvanian Romanians: a shepherd sits on the roadside guarding his sheeps. And a passerby asks him: What do you do? Do you sit and think? And shepherd answers: no, I only sit. The same here: it's hard to tell if Maia Sandu and her PAS is working quietly or is she just silent.

Yet, people did not forget the presidential election, neither the stunt made by the candidate of the pro-European opposition - I stubbornly call it like this on the basis of the campaign that was made for her and the electorate who voted her, because Mrs. Sandu has not bothered to defend her ideas and her positions in a clear and unequivocal form, not even of those of the electorate who voted for her; on the contrary she prefers that not distinctive mixture of anti-oligarch and captive state message, which is dissolvent and pernicious in terms of identity because it does not distinguish her from other actors on the market. The IMAS survey showed a solid second place with 13%, way below those 48% in elections but over the 07-08-10% of PAS, the peak achieved in polls before the election. And if you need one more evidence, the one with whom fights, Mr.P, it does not even appear in the polls (with the risk of having 0,something%) and the amount of the ruling parties do not exceed the threshold.

Tell me who's your opponent in order to tell you who you are and what chances do you have. If you fight with 1-3-4%, you do not nothing but to raise your opponent, even if in real life he holds a parliamentary majority and a government. On the contrary, tinting the pro-European message, or pro-reform if you snort at the idea of a European, can be auspicious. In addition, at least the survey should indicate your real enemy, Igor Dodon, at 30-32-35% with his party. Any consultant will tell that you choose the best placed enemy than you and that you build your speech to outline your distinct identity from him.

If both players have in their speech targets Plahotniuc, Maia Sandu's chance to win is tiny, on the contrary, the nuances are harder to communicate and the position of the President of Dodon brings more visibility. It does not mean to change your attitude towards Oligarhus Maximus of Moldova, but only to look for consistent messages to increase your electoral prospects. And yes, Dodon decreases dramatically after the elections, but you can't grow on account of his blunders, hyperactivity and aberrations said by him unless you mark them, yo do not detach yourself from them, you do not underline them, showing his mistakes as is commonly believed further in the campaign, how he promised things that can not be achieved with the duties of the President, how he preaches guidelines and choices contrary to the needs and aspirations of Moldova.

P.S. I mark here my 200th editorial written for deschide.md after I accepted the challenge to publish two texts of opinion and analysis a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays. I refer strictly to editorials written especially on Moldova, not those resumed from Evenimentul Zilei, from my blog at Adevarul or interviews given to other publications. It was a delightful experience and I think that the verb "cutting" sometimes keeps explicit the goodness, the bonhomie and the sake for the characters, politicians and actors in the Moldovan public that I'm talking about. I hope also, to have the strength, the capacity and the expectations of the public in a way that I would continue this enterprise further, and I also hope that no other preoccupation of comeback in the Administrative Space or some public office not to stop, for incompatibility reasons, this communication with the readers of deschide.md. Thanks to all readers for reactions, messages, congratulations and critics alike, because we are talking about those who hold positions that make the protagonists of our editorials or cause they are our simple interested readers. Thank you!

A special reverence to the translators of the editorials in English and Russian. I think it's difficult to juggle with the paddle of composed phrases and sentences that I use in these editorials. If you read my editorials in English and Russian, please send them as well a good thought.