The national program for studying the Romanian language free of charge is a useful, but late one. Even if the initiative is welcome, this will not solve the linguistic problem in Moldova, which should be solved by the school, expert Igor Boţan stated in a public debate hosted by IPN.
The permanent expert of IPN’s project said that the citizens of any ethnicity, who speak any language should have the knowledge needed to integrate linguistically into society when they complete their studies at the secondary school and lyceum. Together with the development of the national program for studying the Romanian language, the authorities will make effort for the school to bring knowledge to students, including those who speak other languages than Romanian, so that these could realize their potential in society. All the people of median age went through school and studied Romanian. No problems should be encountered with regard to this very important segment that is reproductive and works, but the reality is different. The ethnic communities in Moldova, such as the Gagauz people and the Bulgarians, still experience problems in learning the official language. The Romanian language also needs to be studied by members of the executive bodies of Gagauzia, of Taraclia.
According to the expert, this program is intended for citizens who didn’t make effort at the required time out of inertia. Back in the 1990s, the state undertook to contribute to harmonizing the linguistic relations in society. There were opened different platforms, courses for learning the official language, but these initiatives ended swiftly as a process of migration from Moldova started. But the younger people ultimately realized that they should learn the language if they want to build a career. Studying of the ‘Romanian’ language was introduced in schools from the start and this is an essential thing that makes a difference between the official language and the spoken language.
“The Republic of Moldova formed part of the Soviet Union where the Russian language dominated in administration and we all realize how we ensured the national renaissance process that started in 1988, immediately after the adoption by the 19th party Conference of the Resolution on the democratization of Soviet society and this democratization in an absolutely natural way followed the path of national renaissance as the Moldovan intellectuals realized that the lost things should be recovered and the recovery focused on the language,” said Igor Boţan.
He noted that political interests existed at the beginning of the 2000s and these were formulated by the parties that came to power. The politicians in Moldova decided that they can use the linguistic factor, the ethnic factor to attract the citizens’ sympathy. The inertial factor was ignored and this is one of the reasons why things in Moldovan society developed as they did. The people need energy to support the wish to improve the status of the Romanian language in society. In such delicate problems as the linguistic ones, forceful instruments cannot be used. Benevolence is needed. But the citizens should be stimulated to learn the official language and common effort is needed here.
The public debate titled “Chances of the Romanian language and of Moldova society” was the 289th installment of IPN’s project “Developing Political Culture through Public Debates” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation of Germany.
