Romania’s lower house of parliament 'silently approves' unification with Moldova
Photo: Romanian parliament (Getty Images)
Details of the parliamentary decision
According to the outlet, the legislative initiative was submitted to parliament by the SOS Romania party on April 14.
During the session of the Chamber of Deputies, it was announced that the review deadline for the document had officially expired, which means it was considered "silently" approved.
According to the text of the bill, the Romanian parliament reaffirms its commitment to the provisions of the Helsinki Final Act of the OSCE.
This document recognizes the possibility of changing state borders through peaceful and diplomatic means.
Immediately after entering into force, the law obliges the Romanian government to immediately begin negotiations with the Moldovan authorities to complete the process of unification of the two states.
However, the decision adopted is not yet final. The bill must still be reviewed by the Romanian Senate, which serves as the chamber that takes the final decision.
Prospects of unification between Moldova and Romania
Earlier, the adviser to the Romanian president, Eugen Tomac, stated that Bucharest is ready at any time to begin negotiations on unification if Chișinău expresses such a desire. According to him, Romania’s official position remains unchanged, and the movement toward reunification of the two states is a completely natural process due to their shared history.
Later, Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popșoi also commented on the issue and assured that he would vote "yes" in a possible referendum on unification with Romania. The head of the foreign ministry emphasized that such prospects can no longer be ignored, as unification sentiments are regularly expressed by citizens during meetings with politicians.
Against this background, public support for the idea of merging the two countries among the Moldovan population has noticeably increased, reaching 42%. Deepening integration with Bucharest is currently seen by the authorities in Chișinău as an alternative plan B in case official negotiations on Moldova’s accession to the European Union are blocked or significantly slowed down.
