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| Anatol Țăranu | |
In Chisinau, discussions are underway regarding the implementation of the second edition of the Euro-Unionist Convention, a political and electoral project aimed at representing the unionist segment of Moldovan society in the 2025 parliamentary elections. The initiative for forming the Convention was first launched in 2018 by the European Civic Movement of Moldova, led by Valentin Dolganiuc. It was supported by the National Liberal Party, the Green Ecologist Party, and the Ecologist Movement, led by Alecu Renita. The founding of the Convention was attended by prominent figures, including academician Mihai Cimpoi, Boris Volosatii, leader of the Congress of Unionist Teachers, Gheorghe Raileanu, mayor of Cimislia, Alexei Busuioc, mayor of Capaclia, Cantemir district, Ion Iovcev, principal of the “Lucian Blaga” High School in Tiraspol, and historians Anatol Petrenco and Ion Negrei.
During its official launch on November 27, 2018, the Convention openly announced its objective of uniting with Romania. It justified its decision to participate in parliamentary elections by highlighting the risk that the 800,000 Romanian citizens in Moldova would remain unrepresented in Parliament after February 24, 2019, as there was no political force with a clear unionist message to represent them.
The founding agreement of the Euro - Unionist Convention stated that Moldova's state institutions were captured by oligarchy, distancing the country from Europe. The document called on all Moldovan citizens with a Romanian consciousness to join this electoral entity to participate in the February 2019 parliamentary elections. However, due to internal disagreements and the unchecked ambitions of some leaders, the Convention decided not to participate in the elections to avoid distracting pro-European voters from the primary task at the time - freeing Moldova from oligarchic domination.
Subsequent political developments demonstrated that the overthrow of Vlad Plahotniuc's oligarchic regime did not guarantee Moldova's freedom from the recurrence of oligarchic dominance, stimulated by Russian geopolitical influence. Moldova’s European integration process remains at constant risk of reversal due to the preservation of anti-Romanian Moldovenist ideology within the majority ethnic group's national consciousness. In Moldovan society, anti-Romanian sentiment equates to anti-Europeanism, and this perpetuated state excludes the likelihood of Moldova’s accession to the EU, considering the necessity of ensuring the stability of decision-making within the community. Moldova’s EU membership would not be accepted as long as there is a risk of a pro - Moscow political force gaining power in Chisinau.
Under these conditions, Moldova's European future decisively depends on the evolution of the Moldovan state into the second Romanian state, sharing a national identity. Such a transformation can only occur if a political force dedicated to promoting Romanian values as state policy comes to power.
All sociological surveys estimate that supporters of unionist ideas represent over 30% of Moldovan society. The lack of direct representation of this significant identity segment in Parliament and Government severely distorts democratic representation and keeps the country at risk of reversing its European development course.
Reviving the Euro- Unionist Convention before next year’s parliamentary elections aims to fill the vacuum of Romanian identity policies in Moldova since independence. However, the formation of a Euro - Unionist faction in the future Parliament depends on the political program of a unified force perceived as credible and deserving of support by the unionist electorate. So far, self-proclaimed unionist leaders have disappointed through their selfish ambitions and inability to unite efforts toward the noble goal of achieving national unity.
The electoral success of the Euro - Unionist Convention will depend on the realism of its political program, aligned with Moldova's current realities. A special place in this program could be allocated to the goal of concluding a "treaty of privileged relations and fraternity" between Moldova and Romania. This treaty should outline a form of deepened cooperation between the two states, considering their shared historical, cultural, and linguistic ties.
Such a treaty could be seen as a step toward conditional unification or a gradual integration of the two states, without directly implying immediate formal unification, which is hindered by current geopolitical complexities.
This treaty could include:
1. Political Dimension:
- Recognizing the special partnership between the two states based on common cultural and historical identity.
- Establishing a Permanent Bilateral Council at the parliamentary and governmental levels for coordinating joint policies.
2. Economic Dimension:
- Harmonizing economic and fiscal legislation.
- Bilateral priority access to economic and investment programs.
- Creating a common economic zone.
3. Cultural and Educational Dimension:
- Fully recognizing shared cultural values and promoting Romanian language and literature.
- Facilitating Moldovan citizens' access to Romania’s education system and vice versa.
- Supporting joint media and cultural initiatives.
4. Legal Dimension:
- Mutual recognition of official documents and simplifying administrative procedures.
- Close collaboration, potentially leading to joint institutions in justice and anti-corruption.
5. Strategic and Security Dimension:
- Cooperation in defense and national security.
- Supporting Moldova’s integration into the EU and NATO with Romania's direct assistance.
This treaty could set clear objectives and stages of integration, laying conditions for political unification, ultimately decided through a constitutional referendum. These conditions would include strengthening democratic institutions, harmonizing legislation, and forming a unified identity space for both sides of the Prut River.
Such a treaty must be carefully designed, considering regional geopolitical balance, citizens’ will, and political stability. It should also receive approval from EU institutions and include European funding for implementation. Implementing such a pan-Romanian treaty would mark the end of Russian dominance in the Romanian space east of the Prut and definitively detach this area from the so-called Russian world.
Establishing a strong political and electoral unionist pole would bring a substantial Euro-Unionist faction into Moldova's future Parliament. This faction could become a natural ally for forming a majority coalition with PAS deputies, ensuring the irreversibility of Moldova's European course and restoring Romanian national unity.
IPN publishes in the Op-Ed rubric opinion pieces submitted by authors not affiliated with our editorial board. The opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily coincide with the opinions of our editorial board.
