By Tobias Kaiser (Die Welt)
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It's the first impression that counts, they say, but Transnistria's leaders seem to care little about it. Anyone entering the breakaway republic from Moldova encounters a dilapidated piece of infrastructure just after the checks: the public toilets visible from the checkpoint probably date from Soviet times. The walls, floor and roof are made of concrete, and one side is open to the adjacent field. Several layers of paint are peeling from the walls, and around the circular hole in the ground is a greasy layer of rotting leaves, tissues, beer cans, coffee cups, excrement and urine .
This impression is not so false. Indeed, the self-proclaimed republic, which is not officially recognized by any other country, gives the rest of the world a middle finger. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and a brief civil war, this long strip of land…
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