Câmpulung County is one of the historic counties of the Kingdom of Romania , in the historical region of Bukovina . The county seat was Câmpulung Moldovenesc .
104-479: Câmpulung County covered 2,349 km and was located in the northern part of Greater Romania , in the southern part of Bukovina . Currently, the territory that comprised Câmpulung County is now included at present in Suceava County . In the interwar period , the county was bordered by Rădăuți County to the north, Suceava County to the east, Baia County to the southeast, Neamț and Mureș Counties to
208-531: A 300-metre long Romanian flag was carried through the central street of the city. On 16 May 2015, between 5,000 (police estimates) and 25,000 people (organizers' estimate) demonstrated for unification in Chișinău, in what has been claimed to be the largest pro-Romanian protests since the 1990s. Another protest, attracting between 5,000 and 30,000 people (organizers' claim), took place on 5 July 2015 in Chișinău . Around
312-586: A November 2009 interview, political commentator Stanislav Belkovsky declared that the April 2009 election marked the beginning of the process of Moldova's return to Romania. Traian Băsescu made a state visit to Moldova along with a number of ministers to announce several projects that would intensify ties between the two countries, and the offer of 100 million euro grant for infrastructure projects. Băsescu called Moldova his "soul project". Private Romanian investments are also expected to increase significantly, with
416-458: A catalyst for various Romanian forces to achieve a single Romanian state. The Romanian revolution in 1848 already carried the seeds of the national dream of a unified and united Romania, though the "idea of unification" had been known from earlier works of Naum Ramniceanu (1802) and Ion Budai-Deleanu (1804). The concept owes its life to Dimitrie Brătianu , who introduced the term "Greater Romania" in 1852. The first step in unifying Romanians
520-521: A coalition of 30 NGO Support unification of Republic of Moldova with Romania Head Persons: Ion Leascenco (actual leader), Anatol Ursu, Constantin Codreanu (former leader), Oleg Chicu, Lucia Vieru, Vitalie Prisacaru, Artemis Balan, Claudia Iovita On March 27, 2016, the unionists formed the "Sfatul Țării 2", self-proclaimed successor of Sfatul Țării . It included representatives of each district, as well as representatives of ethnic-religious minorities. At
624-521: A geopolitical reality after the First World War . Romania gained control over Bessarabia , Bukovina and Transylvania . The borders established by the treaties concluding the war did not change until 1940. The resulting state, often referred to as "România Mare" or, alternatively, as Romanian : România Întregită (roughly translated in English as "Romania Made Whole," or "Entire Romania"),
728-605: A large pro-European demonstration was organised by the Moldovan government in Chișinău , in an interview with Euronews România , Moldovan president Maia Sandu declared that there is not enough support for the unionist movement among Moldova's population, which is why Moldova is pursuing the path to join the European Union as an independent country. A poll conducted by IPP Chișinău in November 2007 shows that 33.6% of
832-646: A large-scale reenactment of the Bridges of Flowers in 1990. Their march ended in Bucharest , where were greeted by several hundred Romanian citizens in University Square , before making their way to the Cotroceni Palace to call on Romanian President Klaus Iohannis to support the unification project. Former Moldovan President Vladimir Voronin has sharply condemned the march to Romania. In
936-629: A letter to European Parliament President Martin Schulz , released on 7 July, Voronin accused Bucharest of fomenting "the destruction and annexation of Moldova". On 22 September 2015, the Governments of Romania and the Republic of Moldova held a bilateral reunion in Neptun, Constanța county, where over 300 unionists demonstrated. Their representatives obtained access to the meeting, discussing with
1040-501: A plan of a unification of Romania and Moldova excluding Transnistria. Speculations followed whether his plan is backed by higher circles in the Kremlin, but they were never confirmed. Nevertheless, several journalists and scholars dismissed the plan as a diversion, also pointing out several ambiguities, such as the status of the city of Bender situated on the right bank of Dniester but under Transnistrian control, and, more importantly,
1144-670: A project. In his address to the Romanian parliament, in February 1991, Moldova's first President Mircea Snegur spoke of a common identity of Moldovans and Romanians, referring to the "Romanians of both sides of the Prut River ". In June 1991, Snegur talked about Moldova moving toward the reunification with Romania, adding that the Soviet Union was not making great efforts to stop it. While many Moldovan intellectuals supported
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#17328008222751248-507: A referendum took place next Sunday regarding the unification of the Republic of Moldova and Romania, would you vote for or against the unification?" rising from approximately 20% to 44% support from 2015 to 2022. Support for unification with Romania is much lower in Transnistria and Gagauzia than in the rest of Moldova. Individuals who advocate the unification are usually called "unionists" ( Romanian : unioniști ). The supporters of
1352-530: A reversal of this historical division, a reversal inspired by the rather short-lived Union of Bessarabia with Romania (1918–1940) disrupted by the Soviet occupation . In February 2012, the Union Council was created to "gather all unionists" in order to "promote the idea of Romanian national unity". Among the signatories: Mircea Druc former Moldovan prime-minister, Alexandru Mosanu former speaker of
1456-551: A speculation, both as a goal and a danger. Though historically Romanian support for unification was high, a March 2022 survey following the Russian invasion of Ukraine indicated that only 11% of Romania's population supports an immediate union, while over 42% think it is not the right moment. A majority in Moldova continues to oppose it. However, support in Moldova for reunification has increased significantly, with polls asking "if
1560-480: A thousand young people from among the participants headed to Bucharest in the "March of Stephen the Great" ( Romanian : Marșul lui Ștefan cel Mare ) calling for the unification of Moldova with Romania. The march lasted a week, from 5 to 11 July. In the Republic of Moldova, the march followed the route Strășeni – Lozova – Călărași – Cornești – Ungheni . Participants crossed the Prut River , on 11 July at 10 a.m., in
1664-508: A topic discussed in the press. Supporters of the idea (such as the Romanian historian Marius Oprea ) argue that the unification would strengthen NATO 's eastern flank and defend Moldova in the event of an escalation of the Transnistrian conflict . Former Moldovan Prime Minister Iurie Leancă said that the only way Moldova can be protected from Russia is to unite with Romania. On the other hand, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that
1768-699: A vassal state of the Ottoman Empire . Its eastern territories between the Prut and the Dniestr (approximately half of the principality corresponding roughly to today's territory of Moldova ) were annexed by the Russian Empire in 1812, in accordance with the Treaty of Bucharest . The Russians referred to this new region as Bessarabia , taking a name that had previously only applied to a southern portion of
1872-464: Is a popular concept and hypothetical unification in the two countries that began during the Revolutions of 1989 . The Romanian Revolution in 1989 and the independence of Moldova in 1991 further contributed to the development of a movement for the unification of the two Romanian-speaking countries. The question of reunification is recurrent in the public sphere of the two countries, often as
1976-473: Is a "tragedy", and, if the people want the unification of the 2 countries, it will happen and the global powers can't oppose it. However, acting President Mihai Ghimpu denied in an interview with the Russian language newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda v Moldove that such a move will be taken, stating that a union is not included in the program of the governing coalition. On another occasion he declared that if
2080-582: Is commonly used in Romania, and it poses territorial claims over the region of Bessarabia. It is also used in Moldova. As of 2024 Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) supports the unification of Moldova and Romania . While S.O.S. Romania leader Diana Iovanovici Șoșoacă proposed a law in 2023 for a project on the Romanian Parliament for the annexation by Romania of Northern Bukovina ,
2184-463: The Hertsa region , Budjak , Northern Maramureș and Snake Island from Ukraine, as they were "historical territories" that belong to Romania as stated in the law project. In retaliation, Ukraine announced it would impose sanctions against Iovanovici Șoșoacă, labeling her as a threat to Ukrainian national security. Unification of Moldova and Romania The unification of Moldova and Romania
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#17328008222752288-473: The Russian Revolution . After declaring independence from Russia on 24 January 1918, the "Sfatul Țării" voted for union with Romania on 9 April 1918. Of the 138 deputies in the council, 86 voted for union, 3 against, 36 abstained (mostly the deputies representing minorities, 52% of the population at the time) and 13 were not present. The United Kingdom , France , Italy and Japan recognized
2392-465: The (Romanian) unitary national state six and a half decades ago was a brilliant historic victory of the long heroic struggle of the masses for creating the Romanian nation and the coming true of the age old dream of all Romanians to live in unity within the borders of the same country, in one free and independent state. The fall of the communist regimes in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union and
2496-413: The 1930 census data, the county population was 94,816, ethnically divided among Romanians (61.3%), Germans (20.2%), Jews (8.2%), Ukrainians (6.7%), Poles (1.8%), as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, the population consisted of Eastern Orthodox (68.2%), Roman Catholic (16.9%), Jewish (8.2%), Lutheran (5.5%), as well as other minorities. The four urban localities of the county as of
2600-607: The 1930 census were: Câmpulung Moldovenesc (population 10,071), Vatra Dornei (9,826), Gura Humorului (6,042), and Vama (5,315). In 1930, the county's urban population was 31,254, ethnically divided among Romanians (56.3%), Germans (22.6%), Jews (17.9%), Poles (1.5%), as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, the urban population consisted of 55.6% Eastern Orthodox, 19.4% Roman Catholic, 17.9% Jewish, 5.2% Lutheran, 1.6% Greek Catholic, as well as other minorities. Greater Romania The term Greater Romania ( Romanian : România Mare ) usually refers to
2704-596: The 1930s. Bessarabia declared its sovereignty as the Moldavian Democratic Republic in 1917 by the newly formed "Council of the Country" (" Sfatul Țării "). The state was faced with the disorderly retreat through its territory of Russian troops from disbanded units. In January 1918, the "Sfatul Țării" called on Romanian troops to protect the province from the Bolsheviks who were spreading
2808-806: The Deputies of the Romanians of Transylvania, and supported one month later by the vote of the Deputies of the Saxons of Transylvania . The Hungarians of Transylvania, about 32% at the time (including the Hungarian-speaking Jewish community), and the Germans of Banat did not elect deputies upon the dissolution of Austria-Hungary , since they were considered represented by the Budapest government of Hungary, nevertheless on 22 December 1918
2912-634: The European Union, but not NATO. In January 2023, Russian deputies Leonid Kalashnikov and Svetlana Zhurova warned that Moldova's intentions to unite with Romania, and thus joining NATO , may lead to its destruction. On 2 February 2023, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov declared that Moldova might have Ukraine's fate (meaning to be attacked by Russia) if the Moldovan president Maia Sandu, who has Romanian citizenship, wants Moldova to unite with Romania and join NATO. Belkovsky stated that these declarations of Russian political figures might accelerate
3016-465: The European integration, Romania supports Moldova's European integration as a sovereign state. In November 2021, Moldovan foreign minister Nicu Popescu said that most of the Moldovan citizens don't support a unification with Romania, and that he also supports an independent Moldovan state. Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , the idea of a union of Moldova with Romania has again become
3120-578: The Great has slept for centuries. In our moral energy and our valour lie the means of giving him back his birthright of a great and free Rumania from the Tisza to the Black Sea, and to prosper in peace in accordance with our customs and our hopes and dreams. (...) Part of the proclamation by King Ferdinand, 28 August 1916 Lucian Boia summarised the territorial extent of the nationalist dream as following: The concept of "Greater Romania" materialized as
3224-666: The Hungarian General Assembly in Cluj (Kolozsvár) reaffirmed the loyalty of Hungarians from Transylvania to Hungary. In the 1920 Treaty of Trianon , Hungary was forced to give up all claims over Transylvania and the treaty set the new borders between the two countries. In 1940, the Romanian state agreed to cede Bessarabia to the Soviet Union , as provided for by the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact between
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3328-724: The Minister of Foreign Affairs about common projects. The unionists announced the "Reunification Agenda 2018", some of their claims being accepted and decided within the intergovernmental meeting. In 2018, centennial celebration of the Great Union , a demonstration called the Centenary March was organized by several Romanian and Moldovan activists for unification. It started in Alba Iulia on 1 July 2018 and ended in Chișinău on 1 September 2018. One of its main objectives
3432-943: The Moldovan Parliament, Vitalia Pavlicenco president of the Moldovan National Liberal Party , Vladimir Beșleagă writer, Constantin Tănase director of the Moldovan newspaper Timpul de dimineață , Val Butnaru president of Jurnal Trust Media , Oleg Brega journalist and activist, Nicu Țărnă soloist of the Moldovan rock band Gândul Mâței , and Tudor Ionescu, president of the Romanian neo-fascist association Noua Dreaptă , Valentin Dolganiuc , former Moldovan MP, Eugenia Duca, Moldovan businesswoman, Anton Moraru, Moldovan professor of history, Eugen Mihalache, vice president of People's Party , Dan Diaconescu and others. Created on May 16, 2015, as
3536-640: The Moldovan SSR temporarily lifted border crossing restrictions, and thousands of people crossed the Prut River which marked their common border. The factors hindering the unification were complex, ranging from the caution of political leaders in Moldova and Romania, the war in Transnistria , and, perhaps more importantly, the mentality of large parts of the population in Moldova (and to some extent in Romania) who were indifferent or opposed to such
3640-584: The Moldovan ethnic identity, against other opinions that viewed all speakers of the Romanian language as part of a single ethnic group, taking advantage of the incomplete integration of Bessarabia into the interwar Romania. The official Soviet policy also stated that Romanian and Moldovan were two different languages and, to emphasize this distinction, Moldovan had to be written in a new Cyrillic alphabet (the Moldovan Cyrillic alphabet ) based on
3744-539: The Moldovan population is interested in holding Romanian citizenship, while 58.8% is not interested. The main reason of those interested is: feeling Romanian (31.9%), the possibility of traveling to Romania (48.9%), and the possibility of traveling and/or working in the EU (17.2%). Between 1991 and 2009, some 140,000 Moldovan citizens obtained Romanian citizenship. According to some estimates, as many as 1 million Moldovan citizens requested Romanian citizenship by 2009. In 2010,
3848-408: The Moldovan unionist politician Mihai Ghimpu , that he respects the unionists' ideal and the natural desire of Moldovans to unite with Romania. In 2018, Romanian historian Mircea Dogaru wrote a public letter to Pettit, criticising his anti-unionist position. Historian Victor Stepaniuc , known for his Moldovenist position, stated in 2016 that if Moldova cannot succeed as an independent state, then
3952-515: The Moldovans decide throw a referendum to unite with Romania, he will not oppose it. In August 2016, American ambassador to Moldova, James Pettit , declared that Moldova is not Romania and that the Moldovan people have their own history and identity. He also added that Moldova should join the European Union as an independent state. He later declared, in September 2016, after a meeting with
4056-846: The National Authority for Citizenship, bringing the total to 320,000. A 2013 study by the Soros Foundation Romania found that from the passing of the citizenship law in 1991 until the end of 2012, the number of successful applications from Moldova was 323,049. This is an increase of 96,542 successful applications since 15 August 2011. In the same period, the number of applications was 449,783, meaning that around 125,000 applications still need to be finalised. In 2011 and 2012, 100,845 and 87,015 applications were submitted respectively. The actual number of persons granted citizenship in these applications remains unclear because each application may include minors dependent on
4160-501: The Romanian government created the National Authority for Citizenship to process the large number of applications for Romanian citizenship coming especially from Moldovan citizens. The study "Reacquiring Romanian citizenship: historical, comparative and applied perspectives", released in 2012, estimated that 226,507 Moldovan citizens reacquired Romanian citizenship by 15 August 2011 Between 15 August 2011 and 15 October 2012, an additional 90,000 reacquired Romanian citizenship, according to
4264-556: The Romanian government violently repressed strikes and riots, notably the 1929 miners' strike in Valea Jiului and the strike in the Grivița railroad workshops . In the mid-1930s, the Romanian economy recovered and the industry grew significantly, although about 80% of Romanians were still employed in agriculture. French economic and political influence was predominant in the early 1920s but then Germany became more dominant, especially in
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4368-547: The Romanian newspaper Ziua , as well as Timpul for exaggerating the costs and disregarding other dimensions of a possible union. After the Moldovan parliamentary election of April 2009 , the 2009 Moldova civil unrest , the Moldovan parliamentary election of July 2009 and the creation of the governing Alliance for European Integration , a new wave of speculations about the union followed. The Party of Communists, now in opposition, claimed "the unionists came to power." In
4472-588: The Romanian, German, and Polish deputies unanimously voted for union, the Ukrainian deputies (representing 38% of the population according to the 1910 Austrian census) and Jewish deputies did not attend the council. The unification was ratified in the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye . On 1 December 1918, the Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia proclaimed the union of Transylvania and other territories with Romania in Alba Iulia , adopted by
4576-676: The Soviet Union and Germany . It also lost Northern Bukovina and the Hertsa region , which were not mentioned in the pact, to the Soviet Union. It lost Northern Transylvania to Hungary, through the Second Vienna Award , and the Southern Dobruja to Bulgaria by the Treaty of Craiova . In the course of World War II, Romania, which was allied with the Axis Powers , not only re-annexed Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, but also took under administrative control lands to
4680-569: The Soviet Union, which organized it into the Moldavian SSR . In the middle of 1941, Romania joined the Axis Powers in the invasion of the Soviet Union, recovering Bessarabia and northern Bukovina , as well as occupying the territory to the east of the Dniester it dubbed "Transnistria". By the end of World War II, the Soviet Union had reconquered all of the lost territories, reestablishing Soviet authority there. The Soviets strongly promoted
4784-422: The Union with Romania can be achieved only if the Moldovan population wants it. Asked about what he thinks about the unification in the new context, Moldovan foreign minister Nicu Popescu stated that only the Moldovan people can decide their future. Furthermore, Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița said the unification with Romania is not being taken into account. She also said that Moldova wants to join
4888-399: The adult filing. The number of persons is estimated to be around 400,000, with a potential of 150,000 more persons if all outstanding applications are successful. Between 1 January 2010 and 5 November 2021 as many as 1,027,091 Moldovan citizens acquired Romanian citizenship, of which 746,695 were adults and 280,396 minors. In April 2011, a coalition of NGOs from Romania and Moldova created
4992-508: The anthem changed to " Limba noastră " . The Moldovan referendum of 1994 for an independent Moldova was seen by many public figures to be aimed at implicitly excluding a union with Romania. Furthermore, the constitution adopted in 1994 by the new Parliament dominated by Moldovanist Agrarians and Socialists called the official language " Moldovan ", as opposed to the earlier Declaration of independence that called it "Romanian". The attempt by Moldovan president Mircea Snegur in 1996 to change
5096-654: The armed conflict in Moldova was due to the Romanian ethnic nationalism, in other words, "the attempt to create a unitary, ethnic state with power concentrated in the hands of ethnic nationalists in what was actually a multiethnic society." Furthermore, Bucharest's behavior toward Ukraine did not change until 1997 when Romanian politicians realized that resolving border disputes was a precondition for NATO membership. Present-day Romanian irredentists (such as members of PRM ) aim to take possession of territories of northern Bukovina and Bessarabia . These regions currently belong to Ukraine and Moldova. The Russian presence and
5200-546: The borders of the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period , achieved after the Great Union . It also refers to a pan-nationalist idea. As a concept, its main goal is the creation of a nation-state which would incorporate all Romanian speakers . In 1920, after the incorporation of Transylvania , Bukovina , Bessarabia and parts of Banat , Crișana , and Maramureș , the Romanian state reached its largest peacetime geographical extent ever (295,049 km ). Today,
5304-399: The civic platform Action 2012 ( Acțiunea 2012 ), whose aim is to "raise awareness of the necessity of the unification between Romania and the Republic of Moldova". Year 2012 was chosen as a reference to the bicentennial commemoration of the 1812 division of historical Moldavia , when the Russian Empire annexed what would later be called Bessarabia . The proponents see the unification as
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#17328008222755408-405: The concept of Greater Romania stood behind Romanian foreign policy toward Moldova therefore expressed concerns about possible developments on Dobruja . In 1992, the issue on unification of Moldova and Romania was negotiated between the Romanian and Moldovan governments and they wanted to achieve it by the end of the year. However, the "unionists" lost their dominance in Moldova in the middle of
5512-471: The concept serves as a guiding principle for the unification of Moldova and Romania . The idea is comparable to other similar conceptions such as the Greater Bulgaria , Megali Idea , Greater Yugoslavia , Greater Hungary and Greater Italy . The theme of national identity had been always a key concern for Romanian culture and politics. The Romanian national ideology in the first decades of
5616-473: The contents of the treaty until a general peace was concluded. Romanians! The war which for the last two years has been encircling our frontiers more and more closely has shaken the ancient foundations of Europe to their depths. It has brought the day which has been awaited for centuries by the national conscience, by the founders of the Romanian State, by those who united the principalities in
5720-478: The county then became part of Suceava Region . On 17 February 1968 the administrative and territorial divisions were returned to counties, but Câmpulung County was not re-established. Administratively, Câmpulung County was originally divided into three districts ( plăși ): Later, a fourth district was carved out from Plasa Moldova: There were four urban localities in the county: Câmpulung Moldovenesc , Vatra Dornei , Gura Humorului , and Vama . According to
5824-584: The county was disestablished and incorporated into the newly formed Ținutul Suceava , but it was re-established in 1940 after the fall of Carol II 's regime. In World War II , the county was part of the Bukovina Governorate and was later invaded and occupied by Soviet forces. Following the administrative and territorial reform of 1950, made after the Soviet model, all counties were abolished and regions and districts established. The territory of
5928-599: The development of Romanian national consciousness. The Treaty of Bucharest (1916) was signed between Romania and the Entente Powers on 4 ( Old Style )/17 ( New Style ) August 1916 in Bucharest . The treaty stipulated the conditions under which Romania agreed to join the war on the side of the Entente, particularly territorial promises in Austria-Hungary . The signatories bound themselves to keep secret
6032-506: The east of Dniester (parts of recently formed Moldavian SSR , and of Odessa and Vinnytsia oblasts of Ukrainian SSR ), creating Transnistria Governorate . Despite clear Ukrainian majority in the governorate's ethnic composition, demonstrated by a census conducted in December 1941 , Romanian government hoped to annex it eventually as a "compensation" for Northern Transylvania lost to Hungary . These territories were lost again when
6136-419: The economic downturn accompanying it led to a resurgence of nationalism in the region. Romania and Moldova, state comprising the bulk of Bessarabia which had become independent after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, confronted with their eastern neighbor, Ukraine . Bucharest and Chișinău announced territorial claims on Ukrainian lands (on parts of Chernivtsi and Odessa regions). Bulgaria surmised that
6240-586: The effects of the hundred years of political separation. Due to the inability of the government to solve the problems of the Transylvanian Romanians' integration and the effects of the worldwide and national economic depression , "the population gradually lost its faith in the democratic conception of Greater Romania". The Great Depression in Romania , which started in 1929, destabilised the country. The early 1930s were marked by social unrest, high unemployment, and strikes. In several instances,
6344-640: The end of the meeting, symbolically, the "declaration of the reunification of Moldova with Romania" was adopted. Among the participants there were Nicolae Dabija , Mircea Druc , Ion Ungureanu , Alexandru Moșanu , Alecu Reniță , Mihai Cimpoi , Ion Negrei , Eugen Doga , Arcadie Suceveanu , Nicolae Botgros , Ion Varta , Petru Hadârcă , Iurie Colesnic , Gheorghe Mustea , Ninela Caranfil , Ion Iovcev , Octavian Țîcu , Sandu Grecu , Vasile Iovu , Petru Bogatu , Vladimir Beșleagă and Silviu Tănase . The newly created Action 2012 and Union Council initiative groups organized several manifestations in support of
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#17328008222756448-492: The heads of the Romanian Communist Party, as writing in his memo of April 1944: "the two parts of Transylvania should be reunited as an independent state." The Romanian Communist politicians' behavior were depicted as nationalist, and this circumstance brought about the concept of National Communism , which amalgamated elements of Stalinism and Fascism . According to Trond Gilberg the regime needed
6552-480: The incorporation of Bessarabia through the Treaty of Paris . The United States and the Soviet Union however refused to do so, the latter maintaining a claim to the territory for the whole interwar period. Furthermore, Japan failed to ratify the treaty, which therefore never entered into force. In Bukovina , after being occupied by the Romanian Army, a National Council voted for union with Romania. While
6656-403: The interwar and the Communist periods. The union of Michael the Brave , who ruled over the three principalities with Romanian population ( Wallachia , Transylvania and Moldavia ) for a short period of time, was viewed in later periods as the precursor of a modern Romania , a thesis which was argued by Nicolae Bălcescu . This theory became a point of reference for nationalists , as well as
6760-547: The latter won't give up its independence to become some counties in eastern Romania and that, in his opinion, it is the best for Moldova to join the European Union , but remain independent. Petrișor Peiu (professor at Politehnica University of Bucharest , known for being a unionist advocate ) criticized the lack of unionist elements in the speech of Romanian leaders (such as Klaus Iohannis ), focusing exclusively on "European integration", not on reunification. He also claimed that he asked Romanian politicians why they don't support
6864-427: The main opposition party. However, in the latter years, Filat and Leancă became supporters of the unification, due to rapid development of the Romanian economy. In April 2016, former minister of defence and army general Victor Gaiciuc (who is considered to be close to former president Igor Dodon ) called the unionist idea a danger for Moldova's sovereignty and that he is a statalist. He also added that, however, if
6968-447: The makeshift parliament decided on independence, only to review its position and ultimately decide on a conditional union with Romania. The conditions, including the provisions for autonomy, were ultimately dropped. This unification is now commemorated by unionists in Romania and Moldova as the Day of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania on 27 March. In 1940, during World War II , Romania agreed to an ultimatum and ceded Moldova to
7072-430: The name of the official language to "Romanian" was dismissed by the Moldovan Parliament as "promoting Romanian expansionism". In an interview, former Romanian President Ion Iliescu , who is criticized for failing to unify Romania with Moldova as soon as the latter declared its independence from the Soviet Union, explained that Romania alone, without international support (including from the Western countries ) and without
7176-410: The only solution is the unification with Romania. In 2017, Dumitru Diacov (founder and honorary president of the Democratic Party of Moldova ) said that the unification project is unrealistic at present, and that unification will probably be possible in 100 years. In October 2019, Romanian politician Kelemen Hunor declared that, although he understand the wish of Romanians to unite with Moldova,
7280-399: The opening of a Moldovan-Romanian business and investment office, and the takeover of the online news portal Unimedia by Romanian group Realitatea-Cațavencu group, owned by businessman Sorin Ovidiu Vântu . On 15 February 2010, the Lipcani-Rădăuți border crossing between Romania and Moldova opened and the remnant Soviet barbed wire fence on the Moldovan side of the border with Romania
7384-403: The other nations in Transylvania. The concept became a political reality when, in 1881, the Romanian National Party of Transylvania gathered Romanians on a common political platform to fight together for Transylvania's autonomy. According to Livezeanu the creation of Greater Romania with "a unifying concept of nationhood" started to evolve in the late 1910s. World War I played a crucial part in
7488-604: The people wanted unification, neither he, nor anyone else could stop them. He admitted on several occasions to personally share unionist views. However, in August 2010 he declared that the proposition of an "inter-state union" between Romania and Moldova was "a very stupid" idea. On 27 November 2013, a day before participation in the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius , Romanian President Traian Băsescu
7592-468: The pro-union governing Moldovan Popular Front and president Snegur, in particular over unification, the president moved closer to the Moldovanist group of Agrarians , and appointed their candidate Andrei Sangheli as prime minister. As a result, and especially after the victory of Agrarians in the 1994 elections, Moldova began distancing itself from Romania. The state flag was slightly modified, and
7696-677: The problem of "Soviet annexed Bessarabia" . The Romanian organizations ignored the result of the Moldovan referendum on independence because the referendum did not ask Romanians in Romania. Romanian politicians blamed Russia and the Moldovan regime that unification became unreal. According to Edward Ozhiganov (Head of the Division for Ethnopolitical Research at the Analytical Center of the Federation Council in Russia),
7800-400: The public stance in Moldova on the question of reunification: A poll conducted by IRI in Moldova in November 2008 showed that 29% of the population would support a union with Romania, while 61% would reject it. The pro-Unionist NGO "Romanian Centre of Strategic Studies" published reports claiming significantly higher support for the idea: The Public Opinion Barometer (BOP), released twice
7904-644: The reformed Russian Cyrillic, rather than the obsolete Romanian Cyrillic alphabet that ceased to be used in the 19th century in the Old Kingdom and 1917 in Bessarabia. In September 1989, with the liberalization in the Soviet Union, the parliament of the Moldovan SSR declared Moldovan as the official language, and asserted the existence of a "Moldovan-Romanian linguistic identity". On 6 May 1990, after several decades of strict separation, Romania and
8008-594: The region (known also as the " Budjak ") and extending it to cover the entire newly annexed territory. The name derives from the Wallachian Basarab dynasty, who had presided over the southern portion in the Middle Ages. During the Russian Revolution of 1917 , a newly formed regional parliament ( Sfatul Țării ) declared Bessarabia's autonomy within Russia. In 1918, after the Romanian army entered Bessarabia,
8112-422: The request of Larry Pressler , the U.S. Senate adopted a resolution which supported the unification of Moldova and Northern Bukovina with Romania. Following the declaration of independence on 27 August 1991, the Romanian flag defaced with the Moldovan coat of arms and the Romanian anthem " Deșteaptă-te, române! " became the symbols of the new independent Moldova. Following the growing tension between
8216-453: The role of "spiritual victimization" , turning it into "spiritual police ", was a radical and challenging task for the Romanian intellectuals because they had to entirely revise the national identity and the destiny of the Romanian nation. In accordance with this view, Livezeanu states that the Great Union created a "deeply fragmented" interwar Romania where the determination of national identity met with great difficulties mainly because of
8320-453: The same year, Băsescu claimed to have made a proposal to the Moldovan president Vladimir Voronin that "Moldova join the EU together with Romania in 2007" and that the alleged offer was rejected. Băsescu also added that Romania would respect this decision and would help Moldova to join EU on its own. In October 2006 the Romanian newspaper Cotidianul estimated the cost of a union with Moldova at €30–35 billion, and attracted criticism from
8424-467: The south, and Năsăud County to the west. After World War I , the territory of the county along with most of Transylvania was transferred from Austria-Hungary to Romania. This transfer was confirmed in the 1920 Treaty of Trianon . Based on the 1923 Romanian Constitution and the Law of Administrative Unification of 1925, Câmpulung County was established, with its capital at Câmpulung Moldovenesc. In 1938,
8528-556: The stance of the Christian-Democrats changed significantly after they started collaborating closely with the ruling Moldovan Communists . During the elections of April 2009, the alliance of National Liberal Party ( Partidul Național Liberal ) and the European Action Movement ( Mișcarea Acțiunea Europeană ) ran on a common platform of a loose union with Romania, but accumulated only around 1% of
8632-413: The statements made by Băsescu. On the other hand, the Moldovan prime-minister, Iurie Leancă , described Băsescu's declaration as "creating crucial problems" for Moldova and affirmed his government's support for a sovereign Moldova. Positions similar to Leancă's were taken by the other leaders of the pro-European ruling coalition, Vlad Filat and Marian Lupu , as well as by Vladimir Voronin , leader of
8736-434: The strongly nationalist attitude because of the social, economic and political challenges. After the retreat of the Soviet troops from Romania in 1958, the national ideology was reborn, however it raises questions about its reconcilability with internationalist communism . Nicolae Ceaușescu fancied the idea that the creation of Greater Romania was the fruit of the end of the nation-formation process. The setting up of
8840-541: The tense political situation in Moldova also inflame their demands. Nevertheless, radicals make territorial demands on Hungary too. The Greater Romania Party (Partidul România Mare – PRM) is an emblematic representative of the aforesaid concept, though the conception is fostered also by other right-wing groups (e.g. the organisation of the New Right – Noua Dreaptă ). Today, the phrase " Bessarabia, Romanian land " ( Basarabia, pământ românesc , with several variations)
8944-579: The tide of the war turned. After the war, Romania regained the Transylvanian territories lost to Hungary, but not territory lost to Bulgaria or the Soviet Union. In 1948 a treaty between the Soviet Union and Soviet-occupied Communist Romania also provided for the transfer of four uninhabited islands to the Soviet Union, three in the Danube Delta and Snake Island in the Black Sea . After
9048-481: The twentieth century was a typical example of ethnocentric nationalism. The concept of "Greater Romania" shows similarities to the idea of national state. The Romanian territorial claims were based on "primordial racial modalities" , the essential goal of them was to unify the biologically defined Romanians. The nation-building based on the French model of a unitary nation-state became an all time priority especially in
9152-484: The unification of Moldova and Romania. Several political and public figures in Romania have said that Maia Sandu could run for the presidency of Romania in 2024 , similarly to Alexandru Ioan Cuza , having Romanian citizenship, citing Sandu's popularity among the Romanian population, thus achieving a de facto unification. On 16 February 2023, Sandu addressed this issue, stating she has no intention of running for any office in Romania. On 23 May 2023, two days after
9256-539: The unification throughout 2012. The first one was a rally of 2,000 to 3,000 people in Chișinău on 25 March 2012, held as an anniversary of the Union of Bessarabia with Romania on 27 March 1918. Larger rallies took place on 13 May (which commemorated 200 years of the 1812 Treaty of Bucharest and the first Russian annexation of Bessarabia) and on 16 September. A union march was also held in Bucharest in October 2012 and
9360-558: The unification, and they answered: " Germany doesn't want it". At the same time, Oana Ursache ( USR PLUS ), state secretary of the Department for Romanians everywhere, cut off the financing of "Mesager bucovinean", one of the most important newspapers for the Romanian community in Ukraine . Furthermore, during the 2021 Moldovan elections, Romanian defense minister Nicolae Ciucă (PNL) stated that, between unification with Romania and
9464-467: The union and wanted a "reunion with the Romanian motherland", there was little popular support for it, with more than 70% of the Moldovans opposing it, according to a 1992 poll. At the same time, Transnistria , the eastern part of Moldova, inhabited by Moldovians, Russians, Ukrainians approximately in the same proportions, used the putative danger of unification with Romania as a pretext for its own aspirations for staying with Russia. On 26 June 1991, at
9568-401: The union may refer to the opponents as " Moldovenists " ( Romanian : moldoveniști ). When referring to themselves as a group, opponents of the unification sometimes use the term "Statalists" ( Romanian : stataliști ). The Principality of Moldavia was established in 1359 with Bogdan I , a Romanian voivode from Maramureș, becoming its first independent ruler . In 1538 the country became
9672-423: The unlikelihood of Moldova's acquiescence to such a plan. In January 2006, the Romanian president Traian Băsescu declared that he strongly supported the Moldovan bid for joining the European Union and that "the minimal policy of Romania is for the unification of the Romanian nation to take place within the EU". The phrase "minimal policy" led to questions whether there is also a maximal policy . In July of
9776-571: The votes. On 2 March 2023, the Moldovan parliament voted the change of the state language from " Moldovan " to Romanian . The idea was supported by the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity and was strongly opposed by the Bloc of Communists and Socialists . The Academy of Sciences of Moldova also supported this decision. In 2004 and later, the Romanian newspaper Ziua published a series of articles and interviews with Stanislav Belkovsky , an influential Russian political commentator, who proposed
9880-474: The war of independence, by those responsible for the national renaissance. It is the day of the union of all branches of our nation. Today we are able to complete the task of our forefathers and to establish forever that which Michael the Great was only able to establish for a moment, namely, a Romanian union on both slopes of the Carpathians. For us the mountains and plains of Bukowina, where Stephen
9984-565: The war, the concept was interpreted as "obsolete" because of the Romanian defeat. However, even the Communist politicians between 1944 and 1947 plainly supported the re-establishment of Greater Romania. Gheorghe Apostol 's reminiscence strengthens the view for the nationalist argument of the Communists at the negotiations with Stalin about the future of Northern Transylvania. In contrast with this view, Romsics quotes Valter Roman , one of
10088-665: The wish of the politicians in Chișinău, was unable to achieve this unification. A "Concept on National Policy" was adopted in 2003 by the Communist dominated Parliament, stating that Moldovans and Romanians are different peoples, and that the latter are an ethnic minority in Moldova. Before 2005, only the Christian-Democratic People's Party , one of the political heirs of the Moldovan Popular Front , actively supported unification. However,
10192-429: The year. Bucharest admitted the existence of the two Romanian states (Romania and Moldova) and defined priorities in reference to this matter: "the creation of a common cultural space; the creation of an economically integrated zone; and gradual political integration" . The Moldovan Snegur government became more pragmatic and realized that the nationalist propaganda from Bucharest did not help their aims especially on
10296-542: Was attended by several thousand people. Smaller-scale manifestations took place in the Moldovan cities of Cahul and Bălți on 22 July and 5 August respectively. Various intellectuals and artists from both countries supported the marches, while Moldovan Speaker Marian Lupu and Prime Minister Vlad Filat opposed them. The rallies in Bucharest were later repeated in October 2013 and October 2014. Also, in September 2014, another rally took place in Chișinău, during which
10400-411: Was dismantled. In January 2010, Mircea Druc , the former prime minister of Moldova between 1990 and 1991, declared that the unification of Romania and the Republic of Moldova is inevitable. A similar statement was also made by Russian political analyst Vladimir Bruter and by the pro-Russian Moldovan commentator Zurab Todua , both claiming in a Russian TV Show that the split of the Romanian people
10504-543: Was invited to an interview at the national TV station, TVR . There he said that the third priority for Romania, after joining NATO and the EU, must be the union with Moldova. "I'm convinced that if there is a unionist current in Moldova, Romania will say 'yes' without hesitation", stated the Head of State. In present, Romania supports the full integration of Moldova into the EU. The mayor of Chișinău Dorin Chirtoacă welcomed
10608-473: Was seen as the 'true', whole Romanian state, or, as Tom Gallagher states, the " Holy Grail of Romanian nationalism". Its constitution, proclaimed in 1923, "largely ignored the new ethnic and cultural realities". The Romanian ideology changed due to the demographic, cultural and social alterations, however the nationalist desire for a homogeneous Romanian state conflicted with the multiethnic, multicultural truth of Greater Romania. The ideological rewriting of
10712-480: Was to achieve the unification of Moldova with Romania. The participants tried to collect 1 million signatures for the organization of a referendum . Although at first the Moldovan authorities prohibited the participants to cross the border, they were allowed to enter later. The International Republican Institute in partnership with Gallup, Inc. regularly conducts polls in the Republic of Moldova on several social and political issues. The following results reflect
10816-576: Was to establish the United Principalities by uniting Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859, which became known as Romania since the 1866 Constitution and turned into a Kingdom in 1881, after gaining independence from the Ottoman Empire . However, before the Austro-Hungarian Compromise , the elite of the Transylvanian Romanians did not support the concept of "Greater Romania", instead they wanted only equality with
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