THE IDENTITY APPROACH TO SOCIAL COHESION AS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF NATIONAL INTEREST

Abstract

National interest is the direction of domestic and foreign policies of a state. It is measured by the level of security and well-being of the state and its citizens, and in democratic states, it is indicated by the requirements of all stakeholders of national interest. The formation of a national interest follows the following scheme: Interest > Necessity > Awareness > Action. At present, the Republic of Moldova is between the necessity and awareness of national interest, as society is highly divided and there is no primary national interest with a general consensus. Even statehood or sovereignty are not a national interest with absolute support. This paper demonstrates the dynamics of national interest and the necessity of addressing the identity issue for social cohesion and achieving broad consensus regarding the national interest of the Republic of Moldova