Sandu Says She Would Support Moldova-Romania Unification if Referendum Held
Chisinau, The Gulf Observer: Moldovan President Maia Sandu has stated that she would vote in favor of unification with neighboring European Union and NATO member Romania if a referendum were held, citing the need to protect Moldova’s fragile democracy against Russian influence.
In an interview with the British podcast The Rest is Politics, broadcast on Sunday, Sandu, whose pro-EU ruling party secured a fresh mandate last September, highlighted the challenges facing small democracies in the current geopolitical climate. “Look at what is happening in the world. It is getting more and more difficult for a small country like Moldova to survive as a democracy, as a sovereign country, and of course to resist Russia,” she said.
Moldova, a former Soviet republic of around 2.4 million people, has a Romanian-speaking majority and a Russian-speaking minority. Approximately 1.5 million Moldovans hold Romanian citizenship, though recent polls indicate that only about one-third of the population supports reunification with Bucharest.
Sandu acknowledged that most Moldovans do not share her stance and emphasized that European Union integration remains a “more realistic objective.” Her government has set a target to join the EU by 2030, which will require implementing challenging reforms amid continued Russian opposition. Moldova’s pro-Russian Socialist Party held power as recently as 2020.
Historically, Moldova was part of Romania during the interwar period but was annexed by the Soviet Union during World War II. The country gained independence in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
