Former Romanian President Traian Basescu, president of honor of the National Unity Party of Moldova, said the reunion of the two states situated on the sides of the Prut is a correct solution for the Moldovan citizens so that these have prospects, prosperity and a security guarantee. Speaking in the press club meeting “Social resonance” that brings together mainly Russian language Moldovan journalists in the evening of October 12, Traian Basescu said he decided to become involved in Moldovan politics because Moldova’s road to the EU goes through Bucharest and the assistance this can provide and the experience it can share can be of real use.
Traian Basescu noted that the Party of Socialists that was headed by President Igor Dodon is Moldova’s problem on its path to the EU. Romania also had extremist parties, but none of them transformed the people’s dissatisfaction into anti-EU votes. The Romanian politicians bore responsibility for the national objectives. “The fact that a party makes use of the people’s dissatisfaction with the difficult period of transformations that occurred in the Republic of Moldova makes the road to the West harder. In Romania, there was no such party,” stated the ex-President of Romania.
He also said that the lack of territorial integrity makes the Republic of Moldova a non-ineligible partner in the eventual integration into the EU. In another development, Basescu said the costs incurred in the process are the biggest problem related to the union. These grow as the discrepancy between the GDPs of the two states grows. “In 1990, the GDPs of Romania and Moldova were equal. Now Romania’s GDP exceeds Moldova’s about seven times,” he stated.
“The union is the only solution. The Republic of Moldova cannot be neutral. The proof is the fact that the constitutional neutrality wasn’t respected even through the Transnistrian conflict,” stated Traian Basescu. “Currently, the time does not favor the union and increases costs. If I started to speak about the union in the Republic of Moldova, I did it because I think that the Republic of Moldova and Romania, these people that were divided into two independent states, have chances of reuniting”.
According to the former Cotroceni leader, the union should take place with the consent of both of the states. If the two states, by negotiation and political decision, by referendum or vote in Parliament, decide to ensure the union, no one will hamper them as this will be in accordance with the Helsinki Act on border modification in Europe that was signed in 1970.
Speaking about the National Unity Party’s chances of entering Parliament in 2018, Traian Basescu said he will plead for a coalition with any unionist or pro-European party. “Because the pro-Europeans will ultimately also understand that this slogan does not work and they cannot enter the EU without the union with Romania, and that the road to Brussels goes through Bucharest. The pro-Europeans and unionists will be our partners,” he stated.
