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According to a narrative that appeared in Russia in the context of the presidential elections in the Republic of Moldova, Moldovan politicians are not divided into pro-Russians and pro-Europeans, they are either pro-Moldovan or pro-Romanian.
NEWS: As Serghei Markov noted, the elections that took place in Moldova are not properly assessed, either in Russia or in the West, as they are presented as a confrontation between pro-Russian and pro-European candidates.
"But in Moldova it is not like that. There, the main force around which the political cleavage is formed, i.e. the division of the parties, is neither Russia, nor Europe, it’s Romania. Romania is trying to achieve an Anschluss of Moldova. Romania brought people with Romanian passports into the government of Moldova. That's why politicians and voters are primarily divided into pro-Romanians and anti-Romanian - pro-Moldovans", the expert explained.
Markov also stated that Sandu is "pro-Romanian", and almost all the other candidates are "pro-Moldovan". In the opinion of the political scientist, pro-Romanian voters in Moldova represent approximately 35%, and pro-Moldovan voters over 65%.
"Moldovans want to be friends with Romania. They want a second, Romanian passport. But they don't want to become part of Romania. The main reason is historical memory: Moldovans remember that, between the First and Second World Wars, when they were in Romania, they were treated as second-class citizens. And they don't want to be like that again", the expert believes.
For this reason, in honest elections in Moldova, the pro-Moldovan politicians will always win, added Markov".
NARRATIVES: 1. Romania infiltrated people with Romanian citizenship into the leadership of the Republic of Moldova in order to annex that country. 2. In the Republic of Moldova, there is a fight between pro-Russians and pro-Moldovans. 3. After the 1918 unification, Bessarabians were treated as second-class citizens.
PURPOSE: To associate the European integration of the Republic of Moldova with the annexation by Romania.
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: The idea that Romania "introduced" people with Romanian passports into the Moldovan government is exaggerated. Moldovan citizens have the legal right to hold Romanian citizenship, based on historical ties, and that does not automatically imply a political conspiracy. Moreover, there is a large number of politicians from the Republic of Moldova who represent left-wing parties, with pro-Russian views and who also hold Romanian citizenship. Maia Sandu's opponent in the second round, Alexandr Stoianoglo has Romanian citizenship too, which does not prevent him from running for president even if he declares himself "pro-Moldova". He is supported by the Party of Socialists, whose leader, Igor Dodon, has previously criticized on countless occasions the politicians who hold Romanian citizenship, including Maia Sandu.
The claim that the main divide in Moldovan politics is between pro-Romanians and pro-Moldovans is simplified and largely wrong. The political divide in Moldova is more complex, including pro-European and pro-Russian political orientations, the official name of the language, the speed and direction in which the main reforms should move. The relationship with Romania and the alleged intention to annex the Republic of Moldova is an artificially induced narrative.
The territorial claims that Romania would have towards the Republic of Moldova represent one of the most promoted theses by the Kremlin and pro-Russian politicians in Chisinau. Romania was the first country to recognize the independence of the Republic of Moldova, and even if, over the years, there have always been discussions about a possible union, this topic is not officially discussed either in Bucharest or in Chisinau.
The theses are used to reanimate the Romania- related phobias that were promoted as early as the interwar period, especially among national minorities, but also to indirectly transform the Russian Federation into the force that could defend them from "Romanian encroachment".
The statement about the population of Bessarabia being considered "second-rate" during the interwar period, after the union of 1918, is part of the "Romanian gendarme" narrative, i.e. about alleged atrocities committed by the Romanian administration during the interwar period, but which have not been confirmed by independent historiography.
The suggestion that in the Republic of Moldova the so-called pro-Romanian politicians could win the elections only as a result of some fraud is denied by the recent elections in that country. In 2020, Maia Sandu, who is considered "pro-Romanian" by the authors, won the elections when Igor Dodon's socialists were in power. In similar conditions, in 2021, Maia Sandu's Action and Solidarity Party won the early parliamentary elections.
CONTEXT/LOCAL ETHOS: The statements were made in the context of the presidential elections and the referendum on European integration held on Sunday in the Republic of Moldova. Both exercises marked victories for the pro-European party , but with scores below expectations - Maia Sandu obtained approximately 42.5% of the votes, and for the amendment of the Constitution the win was extremely narrow - 50.38%. Maia Sandu will face Alexandr Stoianoglo in the second round, and practically all the other counter-candidates are critics of the current president or have reservations towards the European integration project of the Republic of Moldova.
Against this background, the Kremlin's propaganda tries to associate Maia Sandu with a supposed unification (annexation) plan for the Republic of Moldova, which does enjoy the support of the majority of the population.
Romania is presented in the Russian press, and also by some of the politicians and mass media institutions from the Republic of Moldova as a vindictive start, with territorial claims over the Republic of Moldova and some regions in the southeast of Ukraine.
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