The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, states that the union with Romania remains a legitimate option, but one that can only become a reality through the clear expressed will of the majority of citizens. She criticized, at the same time, the draft law initiated by the S.O.S. Romania party, which was tacitly adopted by the Chamber of Deputies and is set to be debated by the Senate.
In an interview with Pro TV Chișinău, Maia Sandu was asked about the legislative initiative and how the idea of union is perceived in Chișinău. Her statements come after the Chamber of Deputies tacitly adopted the project submitted by parliamentarians from S.O.S. Romania, the party led by Diana Șoșoacă. According to Mediafax, the Senate is the decision-making body.
"The union remains an option that has always been an option, but it is one that can only materialize with the massive vote of the citizens. So with a massive vote of the citizens," stated Maia Sandu.
She emphasized, however, that the current objective of the Republic of Moldova remains the accession to the European Union.
"This is not how union is done"
Asked about the initiative proposed by S.O.S. Romania, Maia Sandu said that it does not represent a serious political endeavor and should not be treated as such.
"I don't think we should discuss this document because it was proposed by an agent of Moscow, and the purpose of this action is to discredit the idea of union," stated the President of the Republic of Moldova.
She compared the initiative to an absurd situation where someone would propose for France to become part of the Republic of Moldova, concluding that "this is not how union is done."
Warning regarding Russian propaganda
Maia Sandu warned that any potential popular consultation on this topic should also be viewed in light of Russia's influence on public opinion in the Republic of Moldova.
She recalled the referendum on European integration, which she says was preceded by an extensive disinformation campaign.
"We saw what Russia did a year before the referendum, how much it managed to manipulate the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, and we ended up in a situation where we won by a narrow margin," said Maia Sandu.
The President argued that the closeness between Romania and the Republic of Moldova should be built through concrete projects - from infrastructure and energy interconnections to economic cooperation - and by combating Russian propaganda, which she described as anti-European and anti-Romanian.
The statements of the President of the Republic of Moldova come in the context of Moscow's reaction to the S.O.S. Romania project. On Thursday, the spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, accused Romania of seeking the "annexation" of the Republic of Moldova, using as an argument the legislative initiative tacitly adopted by the Chamber of Deputies. However, Maia Sandu stated that such a project only compromises the idea of union and insisted that it can only be achieved through the will of the majority of citizens.