The Republic of Moldova is looking towards Bucharest. The presidential elections in Romania in 2024-2025 are not only an important political moment for the Moldovan state, but also a milestone for the future of the Republic of Moldova, especially for the unionist movement, which is looking for its landmarks, voice and direction in a fragile and confused geopolitical landscape.
Sociological polls show a complicated reality for the unionist movement in the Republic of Moldova: only every third of Moldovans would support union with Romania in a possible referendum; at the same time, just over 50 percent would oppose it. These figures are not just cold statistics – they outline the limits of a historic project as well as its opportunities. In this context, Romania’s presidential elections in 2024-2025 become not only a domestic political event, but also a strategic landmark for the future of the idea of national reunification.
Romania votes, Republic of Moldova gets ready
In Chisinau, the Romanian elections are being watched with almost visceral attention. Not only because Romania is the Republic of Moldova’s main political and financial partner, but also because the outcome of the Cotroceni elections will directly influence the direction of the European and unionist path of the state on the left bank of the Prut. Romania is not only a neighbor, but also a guarantor and catalyst for change. This is why, with each round of elections across the Prut, the question arises: what will the new Romanian president mean for the Republic of Moldova?
In this context, the profiles of the candidates who reached the second round take on a special significance. Nicusor Dan, although regarded with sympathy in intellectual circles and perceived as a man of integrity and rationality, does not have a solid political base, in the absence of a strong party behind him. The leader of the AUR, George Simion, who is a vocal advocate of union, is viewed with suspicion by a good part of Moldovan society as a destabilizing factor rather than a sincere promoter of union – an ideal pawn for Moscow in the logic of internal division.
In the absence of a candidate capable of generating trust and stability in bilateral relations, Moldovan voters with Romanian citizenship face a real political dilemma.
The Republic of Moldova, between stagnation, uncertainty and the dream of union
More than three decades after the proclamation of independence, the Republic of Moldova continues to face the same systemic problems: economic stagnation, massive population exodus, energy dependence, territorial integrity compromised by the separatist regime in Tiraspol, and a national identity fractured between Romanianism and Moldovanism of Soviet extraction. At the same time, pro-Russian forces remain active and influential, and the risk of geopolitical drift is real.
In this context, the unionist cause appears not just as a historical ideal, but as a pragmatic solution to the endemic crises of the Moldovan state: systemic corruption, political instability, poverty, depopulation. In this perspective, union with Romania is not just a return to historical normality, but a direct leap towards stability, development and de facto European integration.
The vote of Moldovans with Romanian citizenship: from symbol to political force
Over one million Moldovan citizens hold Romanian passports. Of these, only around one hundred thousand consistently participate in elections in Romania. They represent the hard core of the unionist electorate – the most conscious and active part of Moldovan society, which understands the historical meaning of reunification.
Their active participation in the elections in Romania, especially in the second round of the presidential elections, should be understood as a civic exercise with a double stake. It is not only a gesture of belonging to Romania, but also a preparation for what is to come: the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova on September 28, 2025. It is there that it will be decided whether the Unionist idea will have, for the first time in a long time, a coherent parliamentary representation, through a single Unionist National List, an initiative launched and guided by the National Reintegration Platform movement, which could enter Parliament and become a decisive factor in the formation of a pro-European coalition.
Unionists – guarantors of Moldova’s pro-European direction
PAS, now in government, can no longer be sure of a parliamentary majority after the fall elections. Without a genuine and committed partner for the European project, there is a risk of drift or a return of pro-Russian forces to the forefront of Moldovan politics.
A unionist faction in the Parliament, with a committed program of gradual rapprochement with Romania, could constitute the loyal and principled ally that PAS needs to form a pro-European majority in the future Parliament. Moreover, it would pave the way for a strategic transformation of the relationship between Chisinau and Bucharest, by signing a Treaty of special relations and brotherhood, which would establish: a common economic and legislative space, a deep cultural and educational cooperation, an integrated defense framework, in the medium term – a de facto integration into Romania and, through it, into the European Union.
The implementation of such a project would mean the gradual and natural integration of the Republic of Moldova into the Romanian and European space, without social shocks, without sudden impositions and without radical rhetoric.
A new perspective: Union as a process, not an event
The entry into Parliament of a unionist faction, with a clear program of gradual but diligent rapprochement with Romania, would change the internal political dynamics. In this project, union will not happen overnight, through a referendum or a symbolic gesture. It will be built step by step, within the framework of a strategic partnership to prepare Moldovan society for change, avoid social shocks and guarantee stability. A step-by-step unification, using the West and East German model, would mean the gradual and natural integration of the Republic of Moldova into the Romanian and European area, without social shocks, sudden impositions and radical rhetoric. Such a project is a realistic formula which can bring prosperity and institutional coherence without collective trauma.
Conclusion: The future does not wait
Union will not be achieved with slogans, but with programs, partnerships and vision. The Romanian elections are just the prelude to a decisive autumn for Moldova’s political fate. The vote of Romanians on the left of the Prut is not a symbolic gesture, but a strategic decision. Mass participation in the Romanian vote and, above all, a resolute vote for the National Unionist List in the Moldovan parliamentary elections in the fall can turn a beautiful idea into a political reality and would open an irreversible road towards reunification.
It is time for the idea of unification to come out of the romantic zone and become a project for the country. And this project starts with Romanian participation, responsibility and solidarity on both sides of the Prut.