[simon]

Originally Posted by KillaQueen

moldova won't be reunited with romania any time soon, because well, that country will only pull us down with its economical and political status. i mean we're already bad enough by ourselves. imagine how we'd be dragging along the poorest country in europe

In 1989, Romania was the second poorest country in Europe (after Albania) and Moldova was significantly better off. Moldova experienced a peculiarly terrible economic collapse after the dissolution of the USSR. A main reason for that is that there was a civil war in 1992-3 when Russia armed and financed the separatist Republic of Transnistria. Russian 'peacekeepers' intervened, shelling the Molodovan side, and set them selves up protecting the Russian separatists in the eastern part of the country. Moldova found itself largely separated from its former markets to the east by Transnistria, effectively an economic blockade by Russia, while its agricultural produce was not of sufficiently high quality to sell to markets to the west. Moldova experienced the worst economic collapse of any post-communist country except Bosnia.

Originally Posted by KillaQueen

then again, there is the cultural and historical issue. most romanians hate moldovans (we've got an area here called moldova as well, the romanian moldova, to the left of the border with moldova the country; together they used to form the whole moldovan territory which would often change borders - it was either part of romania in its wholeness or part of ukraine - and was definitely split from romania in ww2). there is this popular/traditional belief that moldovans are the laziest and stupidest of all romanians. we even use their names in bad words and mock their russian accent. and plus, we're too busy with our own crap to take moldova under our wing.

Romanian prejudice against Moldovans and indeed people from Romanian Moldavia is just that - a stupid prejudice. Moldavia is the least advanced of the three main Romanian provinces, but that's not because Moldavians are stupider than other Romanians, it's because of Moldavia's geography, largely cut off by the Carpathians. Romania sold out Moldova in a territorial deal with Ukraine in 1995. Stalin had taken Moldova's outlet to the sea and given it to Ukraine, swapping it for Transnistria. Romania, the former sovereign power which had given the USSR Moldova under duress, in 1995 signed away Moldova's territorial claims against Ukraine. This was done in a failed Romanian attempt to get into Nato by giving up its territorial claims to the east. Romania didn't care that it was throwing away one of Moldova's bargaining chips. With friends like that, who needs enemies?

Originally Posted by KillaQueen

all we've done is try to restore our language in the area, EVEN THOUGH a good majority of moldovans REFUSE to re-learn it, if you will.

That's completely incorrect. About 65% of Moldovans speak Romanian as their first language.

Originally Posted by KillaQueen

plus, ever since '89, romanians don't look eastwards, but suck up to the west, so there you have it. truth be told, under these conditions, i doubt moldova will EVER re-unite with romania.

Romania has indeed sucked up to the west and sold Moldova down the river.

Originally Posted by KillaQueen

i'd have to say i agree with Amber here, Simon. i guess you can only compare estonia and latvia to moldova when it only comes to the nearly 50 year period of communist regime, but not after. i mean moldova has 'developed' VERY differently than estonia and latvia. russia has a higher influence on that country than in the baltic states, and the romanians there are only so in ethnicity and/or name. and actually the majority of names are russian there,

Romanian names were forcibly Russified in Soviet times.

Originally Posted by KillaQueen

and there's only a few that take pride in the fact that they are in fact romanians, unlike estonians, for example, where i've seen great patriotism. i mean those people are proud to be who they are, related to finns and all, and detest russians still clinging onto the remains of their power. and lets not forget they went through more or less the same ordeal the moldovans went through during russian domination. yet look at how estonians came out of it, and look at how moldovans ended up. i mean antithesis is the word here.

It's quite true that Moldovans lack the strong sense of identity that Estonians have. Estonia and the other Baltic States were always the most advanced parts of the Russian Empire and the USSR. More advanced nations dominated by less advanced nations always retain a profound sense of national pride because they strongly regard themselves as superior. Moldova was not advanced compared to Russia, it was largely agricultural. People from less advanced nations often find foreign domination much more challenging to their identity. Moldovans' Romanian identity emerged from Soviet repression much weakened. Moldova's identity had survived the first century of occupation by the Russian Empire (1806-1918) largely intact, but the Soviets were more determined and ruthless, and succeeded to a substantial extent, in a way that they didn't in the Baltic States.

Originally Posted by KillaQueen

on absolutely all levels. that on the one hand. on the other hand, like i said, moldova is the poorest country in europe. the EU raise their eyebrows at the economical status of romania and bulgaria even, so i dont see why they should even consider moldova as a potential member. then there is the fact that moldova has other internal issues, what with the restless transnistrian area.

Moldova is the poorest country in Europe because Russia has occupied part of the country and systematically destroyed its economy. First, Russian occupation of Transnistria needs to be ended. But Moldova also needs help to recover. Free access to western markets and the prospect of eventual EU membership is required.