The Republic of Moldova’s European path
The political class in Bucharest reiterates its support for the European integration aspirations of the neighboring Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population).
Bogdan Matei, 29.04.2022, 13:50
With an avowed pro-Western president, Maia Sandu, and with a presidential party, Action and Solidarity, which clearly dominates Parliament and holds all ministries, the Republic of Moldova seems, after three decades of oscillations between the East and the West, finally capable of permanently exiting Moscow’s orbit. As always, Romania is the most consistent and energetic advocate of Moldovas independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as of its aspirations for European integration. Created on a part of the Eastern Romanian territories annexed by the Stalinist Soviet Union in 1940, following an ultimatum, the Republic of Moldova declared its independence on August 27, 1991, after the failure of the neo-Bolshevik putsch in Moscow, targeting the last Soviet leader, the reformist Mikhail Gorbachev. On the same day, Romania became the first country in the world to recognize the statehood of its new neighbor.
Now, at a time when hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians are taking refuge in the Republic of Moldova fleeing the Russian troops who invaded their country, and when bizarre grenade explosions and attacks are raising fears of rekindling the frozen conflict in the pro-Russian separatist region of Transdniester (in the east), the parliamentary parties in Bucharest reiterate, in one voice, their support for the European path of Chișinău. A professional military, the Liberal Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca is pleading for a very balanced analysis of the incidents in Transdniester, to avoid the deterioration of the security situation in the area, which is already fragile.
The leader of the Social Democratic Party – PSD (partner of the Liberals in the governing coalition) Marcel Ciolacu himself believes that the incidents in Tiraspol were an intimidation attempt and announces that a joint meeting of the leaderships of the Romania Senate and the Chamber of Deputies with the Moldovan MPs will take place in the next weeks. The Euro MP representing the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR (a junior partner in the governing coalition), Iuliu Winkler, recalls the applications for EU accession submitted by Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia and hopes that all these ex-Soviet states will officially become candidates for EU accession.
In opposition, Save Romania Union – USR deputy Dan Barna believes that the incidents in Tiraspol were just instigations which must be regarded with diplomatic wisdom, and the only chance for the stability of the Republic of Moldova is its EU accession, and that Romania, as a member state of both the EU and NATO, has the duty to support Moldovas European path. For the nationalist opposition Alliance for the Union of Romanians – AUR, says senator Sorin Lavric, the reunification of the Republic of Moldova with Romania is the only real security solution, given that the incidents in Transdniester are allegedly aimed at extending the war from Ukraine to that region. (LS)
