Moldova’s Uniters and Dividers
A defiant movement that aims to unify Romania and Moldova is instead opening up old fissures.
by Zakhar Koretsky16 August 2012
CHISINAU | “True patriots of Moldova don't speak Russian,” declared a banner carried aloft by some of the several hundred marchers who descended on Balti in northern Moldova earlier this month to call for unification with Romania.
It was the fourth demonstration organized by unionists this year in Moldova. The first two took place in the spring in Balti and the capital, Chisinau; the third, in late July, was held in Cahul, a southern city with a significant Russian-speaking population.
Activists came to Balti and Cahul from various Romanian cities to support the cause. In Balti many sported the image of Romania’s blue, yellow, and red flag on their cheeks.
