These days, Moldova is commemorating 78 years since the organized famine of 1946-1947, 14 years since it celebrated the National Flag Day of the Republic of Moldova and the tenth anniversary since Moldovans enjoyed the liberalized visa regime with the European Union. Meanwhile, in Moscow, the creation of a new electoral bloc, “Pobeda”, is announced to run in the Republic of Moldova. We could say that these events have nothing in common, but something still connects them.
Laurentiu PlescaPhoto: Personal archive
“(po)Beda” to the pro-Russians in the referendum?
Deputies in the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, members of the former party declared unconstitutional “Şor”, as well as members of the parties “Chance”, “Renaissance”, “Victoria”, “Alternative Forces of the Salvation of Moldova”, they all flew to the capital of the Russian Federation. It could not be missing either the Gagauzia başcana or the members of the Gagauz People’s Assembly, some Russian pro-war artists, but also sympathizers, some of whom are just vulnerable people who are being taken advantage of. A plethora of characters who participated and organized the launch of the new “Pobeda” electoral block in Moscow. The officialization of the pro-Russian camp was not done in Chisinau, but in Russia, an aggressor country that does not hide its plans to occupy Moldova. On their return, these people came with some sums of money in their pockets, intended to destabilize the country now, on the eve of the elections.
But if it were only these openly pro-Russian actors… There are other political forces causing instability, and some characters who want to return to the country with the desire to take revenge on the current government. And here we can mention Veaceslav Platon and Vlad Plahotniuc. There are other parties waiting for support and attention from Moscow. We are talking at least about the Bloc of Communists and Socialists, but also other forces that declare themselves pro-European, a relevant example is the National Alternative Movement.
First of all, Victory/”Victory” to whom?
The fugitive and the head of the organized criminal group, Ilan Şor, announces that his goal is victory in the referendum, in the presidential and parliamentary elections. How can he get it? The Russian Federation is mobilizing significant resources to thwart the plans of the current government in the Republic to accelerate the country’s pro-European course. For the Kremlin, it would be a failure of proportions if a majority of 60% of favorable votes came out in the referendum. This would mean that Moldovan citizens have put an end to the debate regarding the country’s geopolitical vector.
Rather “Beda”, than Pobeda, meaning a danger, a trouble, would await the Moldovans, if they choose political forces that work in the interest of other states and who, day and night, think how to destabilize the country, but also to put sticks in the wheels of the country’s pro-European path.
5 percent of the country’s population, liquidated
The Soviet Union and Joseph Stalin (still mentioned positively by some), immediately after the “victory” of the Second World War, for what they had, cut the population of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic alive. Up to 200,000 Moldovans (5% of the country’s population) lost their lives. Another 400,000 suffered from malnutrition and dystrophy, not to mention the waves of deportations, where tens of thousands of Bessarabians were forcibly displaced.
We should commemorate this day, remember the suffering of those who lived under a repressive regime and rejoice today, when we have the chance to live freely, with a higher standard of living, through the values that – were instilled by those who suffered from those horrors.
Then the Soviet power forbade people to talk about the famine and other atrocities. This reminds us of the current policy of the successor of the Soviet Union, Russia, where Vladimir Putin has forbidden Russians to talk about a war, the one in Ukraine, and anyone who does so is liable to imprisonment or sudden death. Are we letting the Russians write our history again?
We must mention here that the forced famine did not only affect Bessarabia in the period 1946-1947. Transnistria went through this between 1932 and 1933, a direct consequence of the Soviet policies of denationalization, industrialization and collectivization implemented in the region, which had a devastating human cost. It is regrettable that, across the Dniester, there is no recognition or contestation of the Soviet actions, even though this information did not reach the ears of those in the Transnistrian region, especially because of the textbooks in the schools of Tiraspol, which practically canceled history and historical truth. How can there be support for the war in Ukraine? It’s hard to imagine…
And one more thing, if we had learned more in the history books about those events, but also if we had had more will, we would not have ended up in Chisinau commemorating the victims of the famine in 2022.
Who wears the country’s flag and who worships a foreign flag?
When the parliamentarians of the Republic of Moldova observed a minute’s silence for the victims of the famine caused by the Soviet occupation regime in 1946-1947, four members of the Bloc of Socialists and Communists chose not to stand. This can tell us a lot about the quality of these elected officials, but also about the refusal of historical truth, which is still a problem in our country. If members of the declared unconstitutional party “Shor” went to Moscow, this does not mean that, for example, members of the Socialist Party or the Communist Party, if they had been invited, would not have participated. If it were as Russia wants, it would federalize Moldova, break it up, in order to be able to control it more easily. 11 percent of the country’s territory is no longer under the constitutional control of Chisinau, it is about the Transnistrian region. Putin would like to control other regions, if not the entire country.
The last hope of the Russians is to do the same thing in Gagauzia and then to establish a controlled regime right in Chisinau. We see history repeating itself. During the time of Greater Romania, there were also stray Moldovans who complained to Moscow and asked it for “protection”. Nowadays, this scenario would only happen if the Russian troops were successful in the war in Ukraine, if they even reached Odessa. Many of our citizens still have this dream, to have the Russians come to “save” them. Let the flag be replaced as well – as has happened before, by the way.
Continuing with the celebration of the country’s flag, we should realize that those who suffered from Soviet oppression also fought for national values. The fact that we now have a blue-yellow-red tricolor flag, with a coat of arms in the middle, is also due to their resistance, but also to the wave of national emancipation, started in the early 90s, and which I hope has not died down yet, for that we are still struggling to preserve our country’s sovereignty, to manage on our own, with the mention that we can only do it within the European family, but also close to Romania.-
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