The parliamentary elections are coming and poll results are presented and debates are held, but many things remain yet uncertain. For now, only the parties – rich and very rich, of the left and center-left, pro-Moldova and pro-sovereignty, whose informal and formal leaders control the Government, the Presidential Office and mayor’s offices and run charitable foundations that bear their names or the names of their wives or close relatives – show to be prepared for the parliamentary elections. All these common characteristics unite this kind of parties in a bloc, but this is for now imaginary.
At the other pole of the political arena, things ae vague, while the messages are discouraging. It is about the unionist segment, of the right. And it happens even if about 1/3 of the registered parties plead for Moldova’s Union with Romania. Moreover, some of these parties launched pertinent calls like United for the Union! long ago. In such circumstances, the most serious reproach aimed at the dozen of unionist parties is – how do you want to unite the country if you cannot unite between you for a common objective?
An answer to the formulated question does not yet exist even if the first vice president of the National Unity Party (PUN) Ana Guț tried to explain why things do no advance. The name of the party obliges her to try and shed light. In the program “Important” broadcast by TVC21 channel on December 5, 2018, Ana Guțu said: “We banked on the personality of Traian Băsescu because he could have headed our party’s list and the PUN would have played the role of a unifying force for all the Romanians. Following the witnessed developments, we have to very seriously think. We will discuss with colleagues from the local level and will take a definitive decision as to our participation in these elections”.
From Ana Guțu’s statement, we can deduce that the union of political forces around an attractive and powerful personality was an absolutely pertinent desiderata. Moreover, the figure of President Traian Băsescu was the most suitable one for consolidating the unionist pole as no one else than he, on November 27, 2013, launched the new country project – Romania’s Union with the Republic of Moldova. Then, President Băsescu specified the unionist project is for a more distant future. The supporters of the union ideal applauded President Băsescu’s statement, describing it as the manifestation of courage of a visionary political man. On March 17, 2014, President Băsescu made another statement concerning the union project: “Romania cannot assume the union with the Republic of Moldova. The only thing Romania can do, prior to Russia’s gestures like those witnessed in Georgia in 2008 or in Crimea in 2014, is to say: “Dear Romanians from over the Prut, you have an alternative – the union with Romania. I know you don’t want, but Romania offered you an alternative”. Moreover, Romania cannot do more than what it has done since I took over”.
Traian Băsescu’s messages are very clear. That’s why we can presume that the PUN’s stakes have been mistaken from the start, especially because over half a year ago Traian Băsescu noted: “I didn’t come to the Republic of Moldova to reopen a political career. It’s enough for me. (...) I want to have a party that would speak about the union. This is what interests me. The political career does not interest me.... I wanted a party and I’m glad that two unionists initiated it. I want to speak about the advantage of the reunification of the country. This is my objective and I cannot achieve it as a civilian who comes and goes. I must have a party behind as people from the party should help me disseminate this message everywhere”.
The question is why the unionist parties in the Republic of Moldova cannot unite around a symbolic figure - Traian Băsescu? Even if the Moldovan authorities refused to give Moldovan nationality to the one who essentially contributed to the regaining of Romanian nationality by about 1 million Moldovan Romanians. Why is it believed that Traian Băsescu would have become “an electoral engine” only if he had been allowed to obtain Moldovan nationality and would have taken part in the elections, if he didn’t at least intend to do it? These are questions to which it is already late to look for answers because the dozen of unionist parties split into at least three fragments: several discuss the cooperation with the bloc ACUM; others announced the creation of the bloc of the Euro-Unionist Convention, while the third group is still considering whether to take part in the parliamentary elections of February 24, 2019 or to boycott them.
It should be noted that all the mentioned things happen after efforts have been made during the past few years to ensure an achievable union prospect. Thus, on July 5, 2015 there was held the National Assembly of unionists in Chisinau, which adopted a final document on the actions that are to be taken to celebrate the centenary of the Great Union in 2018 by Bessarabia’s return, this time for good, to the Motherland Romania. On March 27, 2016, there was proclaimed the constitution of the People’s Council 2, which adopted the Roadmap – Reunion 2018. A series of events were held under the auspices of the Union Platform ACTION 2012, where documents concerning the combination of unionists’ efforts were adopted.
So, the dozen of unionist parties and the several tens or hundreds of unionist entities had in principle: - a political figure that was the symbol of the union – Traian Băsescu; - plans and roadmaps; - support for about ~1/3 of the citizens and ¼ of the mayors of the Republic of Moldova; - support and encouraging attitude of the Moldovan authorities. But something didn’t work. And something that contrasts powerfully should be raised here – the last initiative of the ruling Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM). The PDM offers us a lesson as to how the initiatives of the symbolical figures can be undertaken, learned and relaunched successfully in an electoral context. The 2009 initiative of Traian Băsescu, concerning the holding of a consultative referendum on the day of the presidential elections, which helped him attract sympathies and win, can serve as an example. The PDM recently initiated a similar referendum for February 24, 2019, simultaneously with the parliamentary elections. And the difference between the unionist parties and the PDM resides in this. The last keeps silent and does!
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