“I learn Romanian for three reasons...”, Kalman Mizsei

“ I do not learn your language to “help me” but for three reasons: first, since it is a beautiful language, second, because of respect to the country and for the purpose of deeper understanding of its culture and third, it is also the language of Romania, my neighbor where I have many friends and where I like to go also beyond my professional duties today”. This was the answer of the EU Special Representative for Moldova, Kalman Mizsei, to the following question formulated by the news agency Info-Prim Neo in an interview: “You didn't know Romanian when you came to RM, what is your knowledge of Romanian now, and where does this knowledge help you?” According to Kalman Mizsei, a Hungarian by nationality, “Romanian is both, a beautiful and the language of the country I perform a European mission for. In my official talks I use English or, if my interlocutors suggest, I can use Russian since my Romanian is not yet proficient enough to use it in official communication. (...) I find it fascinating to learn a seventh language that I can also use long after I finish my mandate as EU Special Representative for Moldova”. “The main professional mission of my entire life has been to help reforming Eastern Europe, from the age of 21 when I learned Polish in the period of the birth of the Solidarity movement. I am glad for learning Romanian; I treat it also as a deep cultural journey and just like my love of Poland did not stop when I stopped working on Polish reforms, I am sure my love for Moldova and my commitment for its Europeanization will not stop when at one day I will finish my EU mandate here. The same applies for my interest and passion for Romania. And you asked me about Russia a moment ago – again, I am full of ideas of how to facilitate deeper integration of Russia with the European Union in a more cooperational manner than it has been the case in the last few years. So, languages for me is, among other things, a tool to work for a better Eastern Europe and through this for a better Europe”, stated Kalman Mizsei in the interview with Info-Prim Neo, published Monday, March 1. Kalman Mizsei was appointed EU Special Representative for Moldova on March 1, 2007 for a three-year term. Recently, the Council of the EU prolonged his term in office until August 31, 2010.