“Why are you here?” It didn’t matter where I was in Moldova, it was the one burning question on everyone’s mind.
It was something I had asked myself on arriving in the capital, Chișinău, late one Monday evening. The streets were dark and empty but for a handful of stray dogs and shadowy figures with cigarettes glowing between invisible lips.
Barely anyone comes to Moldova. With just 319,500 visitors in 2023, it is Europe’s – and potentially the EU’s, with this week’s referendum vote just edging in favour of membership – least-visited country. Wedged between Ukraine and Romania, it is sullied by stereotypes: that it is…
