Chisinau, December 27 (Infotag). The “Labor Union” Party believes Moldova is not yet ready for integration into the European Union. Its leader, former Minister of Education George Sima, fired by Communists not long ago, told a news conference in Infotag that all statements and deeds allegedly aimed at integration into Europe “are but an electoral campaign tricks”. “The Communists came to power 4 years ago by speculating on pensioners’ wish to get integrated into Eastern European structures. Now the Communists are trying to utilize the pro-Europe moods felt by a certain part of the Moldovan society”, he said. Mr. Sima believes that the ruling party “hides truth from the people, and is trying to convince the public that Europe is waiting for us with outstretched arms. The European integration experience gained by other nations shows that prices in such countries have grown up to the average European level, that many enterprises there have gone bankrupt, and that these countries have found themselves in a severe dependence on the European Union. Therefore, I guess the Communists are leading the nation in the wrong direction: they are creating an illusion that all problems will be automatically resolved immediately upon the country’s accession to the European Union” The Labor Union held its 5th extraordinary congress last week, and its delegates spoke for Moldova’s integration into Eastern European structures, particularly into the Common Economic Area [CEA, a regional organization uniting Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan]. Congress delegates said that before declaring European integration the country's chief priority, the Communists should have asked the people’s opinion in order to know what the people really want. George Sima and his Labor Union are convinced that Moldova’s place is in Eastern European structures. As far as Western European organizations, particularly the European Union, “Moldova should have with them relations based on bilateral interests”, he said. The congress decided to slightly modify the organization’s name, and now it will be the Patria-Rodina Labor Union. In the nearest days, the organization will announce its decision concerning participation in the 2005 parliamentary elections.