Huge rally for Moldova-Romania unification
One hundred years ago, on March 27, 1918, Bessarabia - which had just become autonomous from Russia - united with Romania. After World War II the province became part of the Soviet Union. Today it belongs to the Republic of Moldova. Tens of thousands marched in Chișinău on Sunday to mark the occasion, calling for unification with Romania. What are their motives for taking to the street?
Moldovans are sick of corruption
The Romanian service of the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle explains why a growing number of Moldovans want their country to be part of Romania:
“In the Republic of Moldova the number of people in favour of unification is growing, whether the pro-Russian President Igor Dodon likes it or not. ... For years they've been looking on in admiration at how the anti-corruption authority [DNA] is taking action against corrupt public figures in Romania. For that reason there are even native Russians in the Republic of Moldova who are now in favour of unification. The people are simply fed up with having criminals decide their fate. They have no faith in the public prosecutors or the Moldovan judiciary, and they want the DNA to be active here as well. In other words: even a Romania under Dragnea [the leader of the ruling PSD] is attractive for people in Moldova.”
A welcome diversion
Historian Armand Gosu explains in an interview with Ziare who really stands to gain from the unification demands coming from both countries:
“[Moldovan President Igor] Dodon isn't the only one to benefit: so does the [Moldovan] oligarch [Vladimir] Plahotniuc, head of the Democratic Party and the country's true leader. Behind the scenes Dodon and Plahotniuc are cooperating closely. They want to maintain the current geopolitical paradigm according to which the Republic of Moldova lies in the epicentre between two major powers [the EU and Russia]. For a quarter of a century these two players have been securing voters for themselves through this kind of manipulation and preventing an open discussion of all other important issues - from corruption to judicial reform.”