RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

The Republic of Moldova, between the East and the West

Romania, the Republic of Moldova and the Romanian communities in the Diaspora are celebrating 101 years since the union of Bessarabia with the motherland


Warning: Trying to access array offset on null in /home/web/rri.ro/public/wp-content/themes/rri/template-parts/content.php on line 53
The Republic of Moldova, between the East and the West
The Republic of Moldova, between the East and the West


Warning: Trying to access array offset on null in /home/web/rri.ro/public/wp-content/themes/rri/template-parts/content.php on line 98
, 27.03.2019, 13:09

On March 27,
towards the end of WWI, against the dismantling of the Tsarist Empire, the
country’s Advisory Council, Bessarabia’s legislative body, voted in favour of the
union of this predominately Romanian-speaking province with the mother-land. It
was the first act in the setting up of the Romanian national state, a process
which, at the end of the same year, would end by the provinces of Bukovina,
Transylvania, Banat, Maramures and Crisana falling under the authority of
Bucharest, under the rule of the Hapsburg Empire. Far from being euphoric, the
ceremonies devoted to Bessarabia are rather evocative and not devoid of
sadness.

The union lasted only 22 years. In the summer of 1940, following an
ultimatum, Stalin’s Moscow annexed both Bessarabia and the north of Bukovina,
territories that currently belong to the former Soviet republic of Moldova and
Ukraine. Back then, hundreds of thousands of Bessarabians took refuge in the
downsized Romania, other dozens of thousands were deported to Siberia and Kazakhstan,
and instead the occupiers brought colonists recruited from all the corners of
the Empire.

Independent as of 1991, ‘today’s republic is not the Bessarabia of
1918, neither in terms of ethnic configuration, nor in terms of territories and
frontiers. The Republic of Moldova is much more divided from a political,
administrative, ethnic, linguistic and religious point of view than Bessarabia
was back in 1918 according to the Moldovan Ambassador to Bucharest, Mihai
Gribincea. He has warned that the gravest consequence of half a century of
occupation is that, although the Republic of Moldova has left the Soviet Union,
in terms of mentalities, the Soviet Union has not left the Republic of Moldova.
Forced to cohabitate, the pro-West PM Pavel Filip, who defined the two
countries as ‘twin hearts’, and the pro-Russia socialist president Igor Dodon,
who travels to Moscow more often that it does to the provinces, are
representative for the political, geo-political and moral rift in the
Bessarabian society.

Last month’s parliamentary elections did not reveal a
clear winner, capable of creating a new majority. On the contrary, they
certified the same fragmentation between the president, the Government and the
pro-European right wing. In the past years, in both capitals, dozens of
thousands of people have participated, under the slogan Bessarabia is
Romania, in the so-called unionist marches. They have been animated by the
conviction that to the Republic of Moldova, governed by a deeply corrupt
political class, rendered fragile by the pro-Russia separatism in Transdniestr
and which all rankings indicate as the poorest country in Europe, the only
solution would be the union with Romania, an EU and NATO member state, with a
functional rule of law and where the GDP per capita, according to experts, is
20 times bigger.

Finance Minister Tánczos Barna (Photo: gov.ro)
Today in the News Friday, 04 April 2025

Aid for companies affected by US tariffs

Romania, just like other European economies, is preparing for the new tariffs announced by the Trump administration.   The government in...

Aid for companies affected by US tariffs
Meeting of the defence minister Angel Tîlvar and the NATO secretary general, Mark Rutte
Today in the News Friday, 04 April 2025

Meetings on defence

  The international hysteria about the US abandoning NATO is unwarranted, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the foreign ministers of...

Meetings on defence
Photo: Paul Teysen / unsplash.com
Today in the News Thursday, 03 April 2025

New US Customs Duties

The US president Donald Trump has made a decision, experts predicted long ago, namely new tariffs on all imports to US. In a speech delivered at the...

New US Customs Duties
Ilie Bolojan la Conferința „
Today in the News Thursday, 03 April 2025

Romania, towards the OECD

Romania is on track to complete all the technical analyses for joining the OECD in the next twelve months or so. The announcement was made by the...

Romania, towards the OECD
Today in the News Wednesday, 02 April 2025

EU reacts to US tariffs

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says Brussels has prepared “a strong plan” containing “firm countermeasures” to counter...

EU reacts to US tariffs
Today in the News Wednesday, 02 April 2025

Romania is getting ready for elections

Romania had in 2024, like in no other year in three and a half decades since it transitioned to democracy, four rounds of elections – local,...

Romania is getting ready for elections
Today in the News Tuesday, 01 April 2025

Romania marks one year since joining Schengen

Romania marks one year since partial accession to the Schengen area.   Romania marks one year since joining Schengen with air and sea borders, a...

Romania marks one year since joining Schengen
Today in the News Tuesday, 01 April 2025

Sea Shield Exercise

  “Sea Shield 25”, the largest multinational training exercise organised this year by the Romanian Navy, has begun in Constanta. A roughly...

Sea Shield Exercise

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company