Moldovan President Maia Sandu and her Romanian counterpart Nicusor Dan are actively promoting the idea of reuniting their two countries. In a symbolic first, they traveled together on a Romanian military aircraft to the European Political Community summit in Armenia and were greeted jointly at the airport. Analysts see this as a carefully planned move signaling potential progress toward unification.

For the first time in history, both Romania and Moldova are simultaneously led by presidents who support reunification. Previous Moldovan leaders all rejected joining Romania, while in Romania only former President Traian Basescu (2004-2014) favored the step. Sandu, known for her unionist stance, told the BBC she would vote 'yes' in a reunification referendum and reiterated this to Le Monde in late April.

Romanian President Dan welcomed the idea, stating 'Romania is prepared.' The two leaders share a close relationship, both having backgrounds as anti-corruption activists. Sandu, like many Moldovans, holds Romanian citizenship and voted for Dan in the May 2025 Romanian presidential election.

Historically, the former Principality of Moldova was divided between Russia and the Ottoman Empire in 1812. In 1918, the Russian-annexed part reunified with Romania, but in 1940 Stalin annexed the territory, creating the Moldovan Soviet Republic. Moldova declared independence in 1991.

Support for reunification has grown recently. A March survey showed 42% of Moldovans favor joining Romania (47% against), while in Romania 72% support the move. Russia's war in Ukraine has prompted a rethink among many Moldovans, especially pro-Russian ones. About one-third of Moldova's 2.4 million people already hold Romanian citizenship, and Romania is Moldova's top trading partner. Moldova has also decoupled from Russian energy and connected to European grids.

However, constitutional hurdles remain. Moldova's constitution enshrines military neutrality, and the breakaway region of Transnistria, controlled by pro-Russian separatists, complicates matters. Sandu's push for reunification has drawn harsh criticism from pro-Russian parties in Moldova, who accuse her of treason. Independent observers question whether promoting reunification is appropriate while Moldova is in advanced EU accession talks. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the decision should be made solely by the peoples of Moldova and Romania.

Source: www.dw.com