Revolution in Republic of Moldova

[arnaudherve]

I saw the European flag among the demonstrators.

I just wondered what is our interest in tickling Russia.

[swansandtyphus]

Good to see that the people of Moldova are not going back to communist tyranny without a fight.

The socialist communist nutters who want to set up a Soviet Republic in Ireland had better take note.

[arnaudherve]

This shouldn't be seen as a colour coded revolution but as protests in favour of reunification with Romania.

Which kind of means NATO. Always more NATO provoking Russia.

If that happens property prices in Rep Moldova/Bessarabia will soar!!!

Not very interested as a buyer.

[arnaudherve]

Its hardly a NATO provocation. Its a surprisingly spontaneous movement of youth groups.

Exactly. It's a spontaneous youth groups movement that ultimately means joining NATO. Sorry I was not precise.

I doubt Russia will be too annoyed.

No, not a bit. Why should they?

[Gadjodilo]

Voronin (President) is accusing Romania of fomenting the clashes and so are the Russians. The Romanian ambassador is being expelled and the Moldovan envoy in Bucharest has been recalled "for consultations".

I wonder what Moldovans feel about reunification?

[lostexpectation]

the cia are great at spontaneous

[Gadjodilo]

I imagine the ones with the Romanian flags would be happy. The existing elite would be unhappy. The elite tend to be Slavic. The non-elite slavic minority may go either way. If Moldova joined Romania they would be in the EU and would benefit from this.

It should be noted that in the census the govt does not allow respondents to give their ethnicity as Romanian, they have to give "Moldovan". Its a bit like telling someone from Crossmaglen that their nationality isn't Irish, its Ulsterman.

The two flags are almost identical:





If my memory serves me correctly, Moldovan only differs from Romanian in that it uses the Cyrillic alphabet?

[BodyofEvidence]

basket case excommunist kleptocracy. Poor benighted effers who have the dire misfortune to live there.
Three things
a) disarm
b) democratise (aka let the gerries run it)
c) EU entry

Richer people rarely smuggle their daughters into sex slavery and export mafia gangs. Note the and. Southern italy...

[FutureTaoiseach]

The only Moldovan polls I have ever come across on the question of reunification with Romania have shown support at approx 25% at most. A complicating factor is that Russia wants to stop Moldova entering NATO. Putin is supposed to have proposed a Transnistria peace-plan under which the province would have the right to leave Moldova if the rest of Moldova joined NATO - which of course it would if it reunited with Romania. That may be a factor in reluctance in Moldova to rejoin Romania. Transnistria is already effectively independent or a Russian protectorate anyway. The OSCE has declared the election largely free and fair. Emma Nicholson, however, thinks there was "manipulation", adding that voters from Transnistria were prevented from entering the rest of Moldova to vote.

[Gadjodilo]

The only Moldovan polls I have ever come across on the question of reunification with Romania have shown support at approx 25% at most. A complicating factor is that Russia wants to stop Moldova entering NATO. Putin is supposed to have proposed a Transnistria peace-plan under which the province would have the right to leave Moldova if the rest of Moldova joined NATO - which of course it would if it reunited with Romania. That may be a factor in reluctance in Moldova to rejoin Romania. Transnistria is already effectively independent or a Russian protectorate anyway.

I'm surprised support is so low given that it's only been separated since WW2. I wonder is it fear of westernisation and market reforms? After all, that's what's keeping Lukashenko in power a few 100 kms to the north.