True Independence

The Republic of Moldova marks today 28 years of independence from USSR and 30 years this month since the Romanian language became once again the official state language following almost half a century of USSR illegal occupation, forced Russification and oppression.

The struggle for freedom in the Republic of Moldova has been synonymous with the assertion of its Romanian national identity. Moldova is not a complex narrative. There is no great political or anthropological debate to be had on the ethnic or cultural identity of the majority of the population. Moldova is and has always been majoritarily Romanian, in terms of language, culture and history.

It may have a President who celebrates this month “the State Language Day” instead of the Romanian Language Day. The same President chose to celebrate 23rd August as “Liberation Day” rather than commemorate the victims of totalitarian regimes, regimes which include the Russian “liberators”. But Moldova's government didn’t. Nor did the majority of its people.

The further West you go from the Prut river the harder it is to understand the national identity debate in Moldova. Keep one thing in mind. It’s not a debate. It’s a state of amnesia and confusion brought about by almost 50 years of occupation, starvation, cultural and physical oppression, propaganda and fake news and last but not least the USSR’s masterpiece of a foreign policy: the forging of new national identities.

Still, Dodon speaks today of the “state language” in Romanian, not Russian. While there are still people who confuse their regional identity with their national one, they call themselves “Moldovan” in Romanian. And while the political system is deeply corrupt and heavily influenced by Russia, pro-Europeans and young people and new parties are elbowing their way in.

Furthermore, the great generation who fought for Moldova’s Romanian identity in August ’89 will soon pale in comparison to today’s youth living in both Romania and Moldova for they will achieve in their lifetime this most longed for reunification.

A message from them below regarding Moldova’s Independence Day:

“True independence is to be part of the same country.”