A referendum on unification with Romania was allowed in Moldova.

The Moldovan authorities may decide to hold a referendum on unification with Romania in the event of a significant advance of the Russian Armed Forces deep into Ukraine towards the borders of the republic. This was announced on January 20 by the head of the Moldovan Foreign Ministry, Mihai Popsoi.

"If the Russian Federation gets too close to our borders, <...> if the situation [in Ukraine] gets out of control and events develop in such a way that our existence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and the lives of our citizens are at risk, such decisions are made at such difficult moments," he said. The Moldovan diplomat, in an interview with Moldpres, expressed the hope that such a scenario could be avoided through a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian conflict.

Popsoi indirectly admitted that he, like the country's president, Maia Sandu, has Romanian citizenship.

However, despite the support of Moldovan citizens with dual citizenship, there is no necessary majority in the country that would support unification with Romania.

"In the current conditions, the strategic goal is to join the EU, not to unite [with Romania], since [the latter] does not have broad political and public support," Popshoy said.

Moldova applied for EU membership in March 2022.

Your Excellency: why is there talk of unification with Romania in Moldova

Maia Sandu supports the idea of a referendum

Moldovan President Maia Sandu announced on January 11 in the podcast The Rest Is Politics that she would vote for unification with Romania in the event of a referendum. She explained that it is becoming more difficult for a small country to "survive as a democracy" and preserve its sovereignty. The President noted that at the moment the majority of citizens of the republic do not support such an idea.

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