VIDEO/ Reunion of the Republic of Moldova with Romania: between “it is a natural act” and “I am with Russia”

March 27 marks the Union of Bessarabia with Romania. Today marks 106 years since the Union of 1918. After being part of Romania for 22 years, in 1939 Bessarabia was occupied again by Soviet Russia, following the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. On August 27, 1991, the Republic of Moldova became an independent state.

On the occasion of the 106th anniversary of the Union of 1918, Ziarul de Gardă asked several Chisinau residents if they would like reunification with Romania and what effects this event would produce for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova.

Iulian Rusanovschi, lawyer: It is a natural thing (the meeting, no), because in history the Republic of Moldova did not exist as a state until 1989 or 1991, after the declaration of independence, exactly as it happened in 1817, when the Democratic Republic of Moldova declared its autonomy from Tsarist Empire, and the autonomy was followed by the reunification of the country by the act of March 27, 1918. So, the finality of the independence declared on August 27, 1991 must be the return to the composition of whole Romania, because it is a common history that binds us, the same culture, the same language, same tradition, same religion, we are a people in two states and union is a natural act. (…) The union with Romania is not a phantasmagoria or a scarecrow that raises certain problems for us. (…) On the contrary, a mother who has four or five children always wants them to get along well, to be united, to get along like brothers and to come home every time. The same thing happens with Bessarabia, which should return home.

Valentina Pleșca, consultant worker: I think that, first of all, it would be a more decent living for the citizens, being a bigger country, with more opportunities, with more jobs, economic development and certainly, last but not least, security – to live in -a safer country also from the point of view of life.

Simion Vîrtos, pensioner: First of all, state security, economic, social and all other issues that are necessary for a well-developed and democratic country. (…) Many think they want it, maybe not all of them, but most think they want it too (the reunification of the Republic of Moldova with Romania, no) will be inevitable. You cannot reverse the course of history.

Mihai Roibu, pensioner: We are a country, we must be a language, how else? Because any other direction leads nowhere and you see, these 30 years have led nowhere and will continue to lead nowhere. Even in the EU it is not so simple to enter, 27 countries must vote, (R. Moldova, no) fulfilling some conditions. And then, the only way out is the Union. (…) Firstly, we will be a country, we will be a nation, secondly, as in a larger country, there will be more opportunities for farmers, for everyone. (…) In the end, everyone wants to live better, but better means union, there is no other option.

Constantin Zacutico, retired: I was always for. We are fighting to unite, but when that will be, the Lord knows. Since we started to unite, there are people both for and against, and I think there are more pros than cons, that’s how I think. (…) We are Romanians! But we cannot stick to the mother country, because there are people who say they are Moldovans, but we are Romanians! The benefits are many more. First of all, because Romania is in the EU, if we are, we will still have an advantage from it. We, if we tend towards Europe, we see that Romania helps us a lot to get to where Romania is now.

Nicolai Olarașu, consultancy worker: I want unity, because we are a people, because it is better in a country with a stronger economy. Obviously – economically, obviously – for security reasons, because it is a member of NATO and we can reduce those syncopes that we have at the moment. Automatically, we will have a European legislation, which Romania has already adopted, we are in the process of transposition.