Radio România Internațional

Tag: Moldavia

  • 165° anniversario dell’Unione dei Principati Romeni, conferenza a Padova

    165° anniversario dell’Unione dei Principati Romeni, conferenza a Padova

    La lotta per l’unione dei Principati Romeni e il Piemonte di Cavour è il titolo della conferenza che sarà tenuta a Padova dal prof. Antonio D’Alessandri dell’Università degli Studi Roma Tre, nel 165° anniversario dell’Unione dei Principati Romeni. Lo riferisce l’Istituto Romeno di Cultura e Ricerca Umanistica di Venezia. L’evento, che si terrà il 24 gennaio, dalle ore 16:00, presso il Complesso Universitario Beato Pellegrino dell’Università di Padova, è organizzato dal Dipartimento di Studi Linguistici e Letterari del prestigioso ateneo, assieme all’Istituto Romeno di Cultura e Ricerca Umanistica di Venezia e alla Società di Studi Romeni Miron Costin. Alla conferenza, che sarà introdotta dal prof. Dan Octavian Cepraga, ordinario di Lingua e Letteratura Romena presso l’Università di Padova, interverranno con un breve indirizzo di saluto il direttore del Dipartimento di Studi Linguistici e Letterari dell’Università, prof. Gabriele Bizzarri, e il direttore dell’Istituto Romeno di Cultura e Ricerca Umanistica di Venezia, Prof. Cristian Luca.

    Aperta al pubblico, la conferenza analizzerà, sulla base delle fonti d’epoca e della storiografia dell’argomento, il sostegno italiano al progetto di unificazione dei Principati Romeni. L’unione di Moldavia e Valacchia avvenne, con il voto dei delegati nelle Assemblee ad hoc, durante le prime settimane del 1859, periodo in cui il Piemonte di Cavour stava preparando la guerra contro l’Austria, ricorda l’Istituto Romeno di Cultura e Ricerca Umanistica di Venezia. La politica cavouriana verso i Principati Romeni fu parte di una strategia volta a creare le condizioni politiche e diplomatiche per indebolire l’influenza austriaca a Ovest e a Est e contribuire a risolvere il problema dell’indipendenza italiana. Inoltre, la doppia elezione del principe Alexandru Ioan Cuza fornì un precedente importante per l’affermazione in Europa del principio di nazionalità, idea fondante del futuro Stato unitario italiano.

    Camillo Benso, conte di Cavour, primo ministro e ministro degli Esteri del Piemonte, era un forte sostenitore dell’Unione, ritenendo che i Principati Romeni si sarebbero naturalmente orientati verso la politica piemontese di alleanze contro l’Austria. Nella corrispondenza di Cavour con Vittorio Emanuele Taparelli d’Azeglio, ambasciatore del Piemonte a Londra, si chiedeva al diplomatico accreditato nella capitale inglese di ottenere l’accordo di Lord Palmerston, primo ministro della Gran Bretagna, per il sostegno dell’Unione dei Principati Romeni, ritenendo che questo fosse l’indiscusso desiderio del popolo di Moldavia e Valacchia, ricorda ancora l’Istituto Romeno di Cultura e Ricerca Umanistica di Venezia.

  • Romanians celebrated the Union of the Principalities Day

    Romanians celebrated the Union of the Principalities Day

    The official copy of the Paris Convention of 1858, granted to the Romanian Principalities by the Ottoman Empire, was publicly exhibited, on Tuesday, for the first time in Romania. The document represents one of the first Constitutions of Romanians that underlay the Union of the Principalities in the following year, 1859, on January 24. 164 years ago, Moldavia and Wallachia united under the leadership of one single ruler, Alexandru Ioan Cuza. From a historical point of view the exceptional political event was considered the first stage in the creation of the modern Romanian unitary state, later completed in 1918. In a message, the Royal Family of Romania completes the chronology, recalling that, 7 years later, in 1866, the first Constitution of the state called Romania was proclaimed; 18 years after the Union of the Principalities, in 1877, Romania became an independent state, and 22 years later, in 1881 it became a kingdom. In 2023 as well January 24th was an occasion for celebration throughout Romania.



    There were numerous military ceremonies in all the garrisons where monuments dedicated to the Union of the Romanian Principalities have been built. In the Orthodox churches, the 164th anniversary of the Union of the Principalities was marked by Te Deum services, at the end of which, for one minute, the bells rang. In Bucharest, flower wreaths were laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, an event attended by President Klaus Iohannis who declared that the gains of 1859 are a lesson of responsibility for all those who continue to build a European, modern and democratic Romania. The epicenter of the manifestations occasioned by the Union Day was the city of Iasi, once the capital of Moldavia, then, for a short period, one of the two newly United capitals of the Principalities – Moldavia and Wallachia. The events that marked the day in Iasi on Tuesday included a traditional music concert, a military parade with over 300 soldiers, a memorial service at the tomb of the ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza, at the Trei Ierarhi Monastery, aming others.



    Among the thousands of people who chose to celebrate the Union Day in Iasi were the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu. An opportunity for the PM to state that the roots of European Romania can be found in the Union that occurred 164 years ago, an authentic example of the unity of the will of Romanians, which opened the path for the emancipation and modernization of the state. Since 1859, until today, the unmistakable leitmotif of January 24th has remained, however, “Hora Unirii” — The Union Round Dance, a poem by Vasile Alecsandri on the musical setting of Alexandru Flechtenmacher, which is sung and danced on by everybody throughout Romania. (LS)

  • January 24, 2023

    January 24, 2023

    UNION Romanians are today celebrating the union of the historical provinces
    of Moldavia and Wallachia, a political event, which took place 164 years ago,
    in 1859, under the leadership of ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza. The move was the
    first step in the process of creating the Romanian modern state, process
    completed back in 1918. Military and religious services have been staged by the
    Ministry of National Defence jointly with central and local authorities at the
    monuments devoted to the union of the Romanian principalities. Wreath laying
    ceremonies were held at the monument of the Unknown Soldier. Present at the
    event, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis says that the successes achieved back
    in 1859 are a lesson of responsibility for all those who are building the
    European, modern and democratic Romania. He reiterated the appeal to use all
    the instruments available to complete all the reforms Romania needs and to
    eradicate the malfunctions, which are still affecting this process. Thousands
    of people took to the streets of Iasi, in eastern Romania to participate in a
    series of events on this occasion. The country’s Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca
    and the president of the Chamber of Deputies Marcel Ciolacu have also
    participated in these events. In his public address on this special occasion,
    Prime Minister Ciuca said the roots of the European Romania can be found in the
    union completed 164 years ago – an authentic example of the unity of the
    Romanians, which paved the way for the emancipation and modernization of the state.
    In his opinion, the responsibility of the political class and the state
    institutions is to honour this act of uniting the Romanian nation. Religious
    services have been held in Orthodox churches around the country on this
    occasion.








    UKRAINE Several high officials in Ukraine have today announced their
    resignations amid high-level corruption allegations during the war with Russia,
    France Press reports. Deputy Defence Minister, Viacheslav Shapovalov, and the
    deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko are among the
    high officials to have stepped down. Deputy prosecutor General Oleksiy
    Symonenko has also resigned amid allegations about a holiday he spent with his
    family in Spain after Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council had
    banned state officials from leaving the country during martial law. Amid all
    these allegations, which threaten to dampen the West’s enthusiasm to help the
    government in Kyiv, president Zelensky has pledged to launch a staff shake-up
    in the central and local administrations including at top level. Ukraine’s
    endemic corruption has been overlooked since the beginning of the Russian
    invasion, but fighting the scourge is one of the key conditions for the country
    to join the European Union.








    NATO
    Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told Sweden not to expect Turkey’s
    support for its NATO membership bid, after a copy of the Quran was burned in a
    Stockholm protest. Sweden’s accession to NATO must be ratified by all the
    member states, but the tensions between Ankara and Stockholm have escalated in
    the past weeks. Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in May last year
    after Russia had invaded Ukraine. Turkey has accused Sweden of backing groups,
    which are considered terrorist by the government in Ankara. Finland’s Foreign
    Minister Pekka Haavisto has today said that Finland must consider joining NATO
    without Sweden.








    WEATHER The weather is getting colder in Romania with temperatures, which are
    normal for the time of the year. The sky is overcast in several regions in the
    south-west, south and east, which can also see precipitations as rain, sleet
    and even snow. Glazed frost has been reported on small areas in the south-east
    and south. The wind is moderate everywhere apart from some regions in the south
    and in the mountains. The highs of the day are ranging between 0 and 10 degrees
    Celsius. The noon reading in Bucharest was two degrees.








    (bill)

  • Giornata Unione dei Principati Romeni, eventi a Udine e Roma

    Giornata Unione dei Principati Romeni, eventi a Udine e Roma

    Ogni anno, il 24 gennaio, la Romania celebra l’Unione dei Principati Romeni della Moldavia e della Valacchia nel 1859, il primo passo verso la creazione dello Stato unitario romeno, portata a compimento nel 1918. Investito principe della Moldavia il 5 gennaio 1859 a Iasi (est), il colonnello Alexandru Ioan Cuza, appartenente alla generazione del Risorgimento, venne eletto nella stessa carica il 24 gennaio anche a Bucarest, capitale della Valacchia.

    Le rappresentanze dell’Istituto Culturale Romeno a Chişinău, Venezia, Roma, Varsavia, Istanbul, Londra e Vienna dedicano una rosa di eventi al 164/o anniversario dell’Unione dei Principati.

    Il 24 gennaio, dalle ore 17.00, il Palazzo Garzolini di Toppo-Wassermann a Udine (Via Gemona 92) ospiterà una conferenza aperta al pubblico, incentrata sulle relazioni italo-romene sotto il regno del principe Alexandru Ioan Cuza e sul percorso simmetrico seguito dai due popoli nel conseguire l’unità nazionale. L’evento è organizzato dall’Istituto Romeno di Cultura e Ricerca Umanistica di Venezia, assieme al Dipartimento di Lingue e Letterature, Comunicazione, Formazione e Società dell’Università degli Studi di Udine e al Consolato Generale di Romania a Trieste. In apertura interverranno le autorità dell’Università degli Studi di Udine, il console generale di Romania a Trieste, Cosmin Victor Lotreanu, e il prof. Cristian Luca, rappresentante dell’Istituto Romeno di Cultura e Ricerca Umanistica di Venezia.

    Dopo una breve introduzione di Alessandro Zuliani, docente di Lingua e Letteratura Romena del Dipartimento di Lingue e Letterature, Comunicazione, Formazione e Società dell’Università degli Studi di Udine, Raluca Tomi, ricercatrice presso l’Istituto di Storia Nicolae Iorga di Bucarest dell’Accademia Romena delle Scienze, terrà una conferenza in lingua italiana intitolata Alexandru Ioan Cuza e l’Italia, che ripercorrerà l’evoluzione dei rapporti di Cuza, nella sua veste di principe eletto dei Principati Uniti di Moldavia e Valacchia e, successivamente, nel periodo dell’esilio, con l’Italia, al tempo ancora in fase di unificazione sotto lo scettro di Casa Savoia, precisa l’Istituto Romeno di Cultura e Ricerca Umanistica di Venezia in un comunicato. La fonte ricorda che, nel 2023, ricorrono anche 150 anni dalla prematura scomparsa, all’età di 53 anni, del principe Alexandru Ioan Cuza (1820-1873).

    A sua volta, l’Accademia di Romania in Roma celebra la Giornata dell’Unione dei Principati in collaborazione con il Museo Nazionale di Storia della Romania, presentando su Facebook un film dedicato al ritratto ufficiale del principe Alexandru Ioan Cuza, realizzato dal pittore e fotografo Carol Popp di Szatmari nel periodo 1863-1865. Il ritratto fa parte della collezione di pittura moderna romena del Museo Nazionale di Storia della Romania, precisa l’Istituto Culturale Romeno.

  • Femininity and Childhood in Modern Times

    Femininity and Childhood in Modern Times

    Romanians
    gave up the Oriental style and fashion and quickly adopted Western fashions
    radically changing their dressing style and the interior decorations of their
    homes.




    Women
    quickly embraced the Western trends and proved to be the main promoters of
    these changes in the Romanian society. Furthermore, the change in mentalities
    allowed women to get more involved in social activities destined for children
    and not only. So, in the first half of the 19th century children
    benefitted from improved education and standard of living in comparison to the
    previous generations. Well-off families in the aforementioned principalities started
    hiring German, English or French tutors for their children, which replaced the
    previous Greek private teachers they used to have. Bourgeois families in these
    two regions inhabited by Romanians had their own approach in the education of
    their offspring. Here is now at the microphone Nicoleta Roman, researcher with
    the Nicolae Iorga Institute of History:

    There was the emerging bourgeoisie, made up mainly of traders trying
    to imitate the aristocrats in these regions. And in this case, these children’s
    childhood was somehow protected by the involvement of their parents who
    invested in their education in order to improve their status and the status of
    their families. And it was that investment that made the difference between the
    children coming from the rich families and aristocracy and the rest.





    The issue of childhood
    in the rural areas in the first half of the 19th century is still
    under the scrutiny of the historians. However, what is known for certain is
    that the struggle for survival in that area didn’t prove beneficial to the
    process of transformations of Wallachia and Moldavia in early 19th
    century. Changes in people’s outlook on childhood and the status of women were
    quite sluggish in the rural world and the young boyars who were the engine of these
    changes had their own outlook on education, mainly supervised by their mothers,
    who thus become the promoters of new ideas in this area. Here is again at the
    microphone Nicoleta Roman:






    We should not forget to mention the
    young generation of revolutionaries of 1848 or their associates who had made it
    to major positions in state structures. They had different approaches in terms
    of education and a series of state-funded social policies regarding education
    or social assistance started to emerge. The growing interest in children
    education shed a new light on childhood as compared to the previous years,
    making children more visible in society. There was also that feeling of
    national identity and the C.A. Rosetti – Mary Grant couple was a case in point.
    That was a cosmopolitan couple who loved their children very much and tried to
    instill this feeling of national identity in them, including through the names
    they had given to them. Their first daughter was named Liberty and we’ve learnt
    that the aforementioned feeling was also shared by their friends, the Golescu
    and Bratianu families. So, the elite changed and so did its approach to children
    education. The spirit of the 18th century had been replaced by one
    focusing on how those children could represent the nation better and how they
    could assume the values of a certain nation.




    Journalist, writer, political leader
    and revolutionary Constantin Alexandru Rosetti aka C.A.Rosetti in 1847 married Mary
    Grant, a Scotswoman who was working as a governess. The couple was to become an
    example not only for their cosmopolitan style but also for the fact they tried
    to fairly share the household tasks and chores. They had a joint contribution
    to their children’s education and worked together over their publications. Mary
    Grant rapidly adopted the ideals of modernizing the Romanian space at that
    time. And as Nicoleta Roman pointed out she wasn’t the only woman changing her
    status in those years.


    There was in early 19th century a tendency of
    professionalizing some aspects in a woman’s life. The woman could become a
    midwife, a teacher or a babysitter. These were paid activities and started
    being integrated in the state system. So women started taking off from the
    private field and finding their own way in life without giving up families or
    households. They started gaining public recognition. At the same time, women
    from the upper classes got involved in the process of founding charity
    associations and charity actions. Some of them got involved in the process of
    editing various publications. The 19th century saw a significant
    improvement in terms of women’s involvement in society than the previous one.     (bill)

  • Christmas Traditions in Romania

    Christmas Traditions in Romania

    Christmas, the great moment of the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated by the entire Christian world, is marked in Romania by a series of specific rituals. The historical region of Maramures and the Oas Land, in the north, are two of the ethnic folk regions of Romania where the spirit of Christmas has been preserved for centuries, being passed from one generation to the next. According to Natalia Lazar, the manager of the Oas Land Museum Christmas is a very important Christian celebration in the county of Maramures and in its ethnic-folk areas. The celebrations that are derived from pagan or pre-Christian rituals are very important and such a ritual is that of groups of men who go caroling.



    This is a tradition included in the intangible cultural heritage which can be equally found on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list. Masked performances, which are dramatic performances, make reference to religious elements, on the one hand, and to pagan elements, on the other hand. Masked performances are traditional in almost all the countries from central and southeastern Europe. The history of the Romanian folk masks dates back to the moment when primitive masks and masked performances were created; they were related to basic occupations such as hunting, to the moments of birth, wedding and death or to cyclical customs and yearly celebrations, said Natalia Lazar.



    Caroling is the most genuine manifestation of the joy of Christmas. Pre-Christian rituals, which overlap the Christian celebration of the birth of Christ, have been preserved almost intact in the ethnic-folk regions in northern Romania. Natalia Lazar also says that some of the customs that are still alive in Maramures are the Goat carol, which reminds of the old Dionysian pageantries, and the Viflaim, a form of Christian folk drama that is performed traditionally on the Iza Valley, the Mara Valley and the Oas Land. Two less known customs that have nevertheless been preserved in the collective memory are the Dance of Fathers Christmas and the Burial of Christmas or of the old year. The Dance of Fathers Christmas refers to this sacred time when the skies open and the two worlds can communicate with each other. The Burial of Christmas or of the old year is an ancient ritual that reminds of man’s and nature’s death and rebirth, according to Natalia Lazar.



    Group caroling is still impressive today, and it has been adapted to fit urban areas. Few people know that the groups of carolers are organized according to strict rules. The first who go caroling are the groups made up of 5 up to 8 children. In the region of Maramures these groups are mixed. Children carry little bags on their backs and a piece of thread on which to string the round-shaped breads they receive from the people to whom they make holiday wishes. On Christmas Eve, on December 24, the groups start caroling early in the morning. The groups of young men go caroling at night fall, being the last ones to herald the birth of Christ.



    In the region of Banat, in southwestern Romania, on the occasion of Christmas, people traditionally adorn the fir trees with candies and under the trees they place a piece of round-shaped bread, a piece of sausage and a bottle of double-distilled plum brandy as gifts for Santa Claus. They also place cereals and fodder for Santa’s horses.



    In Transylvania, in central western Romania, preparations for Christmas start on November 15, when the Christmas fasting period begins. Traditionally, on November 15 work in the field would come to an end, people would stop eating meat, and women would gather to sew together traditional clothes for the coming festivities.



    In the region of Moldavia, in the east, all the activities that take place on Christmas Eve are actually a ritual for the protection of animals, orchards and households. Traditionally, for the Christmas feast women would prepare 12 dishes mainly made of pork.



    In Bucovina, in northeastern Romania, people sing carols to chase away the evil spirits and clean up the village for the Christmas night.



    In Oltenia, in the south, Christmas traditions are related to purification and fate divination rituals. On Christmas Eve the people in a household would poke the fire and recite several lines meant to protect the family from diseases and to usher in a new, richer year. (translation by L. Simion)

  • Dishes from Moldavia

    Dishes from Moldavia

    Today we’ll be presenting you with dishes from Moldavia, a region in eastern Romania famous for its dishes and wines. Actually each region of Romania stands out through traditional specialties, some of them bearing the mark PDO — protected designation of origin, such as the wines. Moldavia boasts such specialties with designation of origin as tochitura moldoveneasca — Moldavian stew or sarmale moldovenesti — Moldavian cabbage rolls. It also has special dishes that are simply typical of the region like the ‘poale-n brau’ cheese pies or the minced meat patties known as ‘parjoale’.



    In Moldavia’s traditional communities, one popular breakfast consists of two fried eggs with fried pork lard known as fatback cracklins and grated cheese. For lunch, Moldavians have some favorite dishes such as potato or bean stew, stewed cabbage, bean soup or chicken giblets soup usually made with carrots, rice, onion and parsley root garnished with egg yolk and soured with natural sour juice made of fermented wheat bran, maze flour and water. Giblets soup is also served after long parties with lots of wine.



    Since we’ve mentioned wine, let’s not forget that Moldavia boasts a rich offer of wines, many from Romanian grape varieties such as “Galbena of Odobeşti” and of “Şarba” from Vrancea region, Romania’s largest wine-producing region, “Busuioaca de Bohotin” from Huşi area, “Grasa”, “Feteasca” and “Frâncuşa” from the Cotnari vineyards in Iaşi.



    Let’s now see the recipe for meat patties. They are roughly the size of a hamburger, and are made with pork, beef, or both. The meat mixture also contains soaked stale bread, two medium-sized chopped onions, 4 eggs, chopped dill, salt and pepper. After kneading the mixture well, douse them in flour, then soak them in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs, and fry them in vegetable oil. Meat patties can be served with bean stew or mashed potatoes.



    Now here is the recipe for ‘poale-n brau’ cheese pie. These pies are prepared from leavened dough which you will have to flatten with a rolling pin. Cut the flattened dough into small squares of side 15 cm. Place a mixture of sweet cheese and raisins in the center of the square dough and wrap, bringing the 4 corners to the center, then bake! Enjoy! (translation by L. Simion)

  • Dishes from Moldavia

    Dishes from Moldavia

    Today we’ll be presenting you with dishes from Moldavia, a region in eastern Romania famous for its dishes and wines. Actually each region of Romania stands out through traditional specialties, some of them bearing the mark PDO — protected designation of origin, such as the wines. Moldavia boasts such specialties with designation of origin as tochitura moldoveneasca — Moldavian stew or sarmale moldovenesti — Moldavian cabbage rolls. It also has special dishes that are simply typical of the region like the ‘poale-n brau’ cheese pies or the minced meat patties known as ‘parjoale’.



    In Moldavia’s traditional communities, one popular breakfast consists of two fried eggs with fried pork lard known as fatback cracklins and grated cheese. For lunch, Moldavians have some favorite dishes such as potato or bean stew, stewed cabbage, bean soup or chicken giblets soup usually made with carrots, rice, onion and parsley root garnished with egg yolk and soured with natural sour juice made of fermented wheat bran, maze flour and water. Giblets soup is also served after long parties with lots of wine.



    Since we’ve mentioned wine, let’s not forget that Moldavia boasts a rich offer of wines, many from Romanian grape varieties such as “Galbena of Odobeşti” and of “Şarba” from Vrancea region, Romania’s largest wine-producing region, “Busuioaca de Bohotin” from Huşi area, “Grasa”, “Feteasca” and “Frâncuşa” from the Cotnari vineyards in Iaşi.



    Let’s now see the recipe for meat patties. They are roughly the size of a hamburger, and are made with pork, beef, or both. The meat mixture also contains soaked stale bread, two medium-sized chopped onions, 4 eggs, chopped dill, salt and pepper. After kneading the mixture well, douse them in flour, then soak them in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs, and fry them in vegetable oil. Meat patties can be served with bean stew or mashed potatoes.



    Now here is the recipe for ‘poale-n brau’ cheese pie. These pies are prepared from leavened dough which you will have to flatten with a rolling pin. Cut the flattened dough into small squares of side 15 cm. Place a mixture of sweet cheese and raisins in the center of the square dough and wrap, bringing the 4 corners to the center, then bake! Enjoy! (translation by L. Simion)

  • Piatti della Moldavia

    Piatti della Moldavia

    Ogni provincia romena vanta i suoi piatti specifici. Radio Romania Internazionale vi apre la porta della cucina in Moldavia, la regione dell’est del Paese, famosa per le sue prelibatezze gastronomiche. Nelle comunità tradizionali, si fa colazione con uova fritte, ciccioli e formaggio grattugiato. A pranzo sono preferiti i piatti a base di patate, fagioli o verza. Saporitissima la ciorba de potroace, il borsch di rigaglie di pollo, con carote bollite, cipolle, riso e prezzemolo, consigliato soprattutto dopo una festa spruzzata da abbondante vino. D’altronde, la Moldavia ha una generosa offerta di vini, con tante varietà romene: Galbena de Odobeşti e Şarba nella regione di Vrancea, il più grande vigneto di Romania, la Busuioaca di Bohotin nell’area di Husi, per non parlare di Grasa, Feteasca e Frâncuşa che escono dai vigneti di Cotnari, in provincia di Iaşi.

    Un piatto tipico della Moldavia sono le polpette chiamate pârjoale, che vengono modellate molto più grandi rispetto a quelle preparate in altre regioni della Romania o in altri Paesi. Servono un chilo di carne macinata, 2-3 fette di pane, due cipolle, 4 uova, aneto fresco, sale, pepe. Unite alla carne il pane precedentemente ammollato in acqua e poi strizzato. Aggiungete la cipolla e l’aneto tritati, sale, pepe, due uova intere e mescolate perbene. Modellate le polpette, fatele passare nella farina, nelle uova sbattute e nel pangrattato, e friggetele nell’olio. Come contorno, sposano benissimo una purea di patate.

    E siamo arrivati anche ad un dessert specifico della Moldavia: le saporitissime poale-n brâu, una specie di piccole torte ripiene di formaggio fresco. Il nome ricorda l’abitudine delle donne di una volta che, mentre facevano il bucato o altri lavori, sollevavano il lembo (in romeno poale) della gonna, attaccandolo alla vita (in romeno brâu). L’impasto a base di farina, uova, zucchero, latte, lievito di birra e un po’ di olio e sale, si divide in quadrati che poi vengono riempiti di formaggio fresco di mucca mescolato con uova e zucchero. Prima di essere infornate, vengono spalmate con tuorlo d’uovo.

    Un soggiorno in Moldavia, che potreste vincere partecipando al concorso Iași – capitale storica della Romania, indetto da Radio Romania Internazionale, vi svelerà sicuramente tanti segreti della cucina di questa bella regione del Paese! Buon appetito!

  • The Citadels of Stephen the Great

    The Citadels of Stephen the Great

    Fortifications, forts, redoubts and citadels played a very important role in warfare until the early 20th century. Fortifications were used even in the great world wars of the past century. They helped military leaders protect their countries borders, ensure the populations security and defend economic interests.



    One of the first Romanian medieval princes who thought out and implemented an articulated fortification system was Stephen the Great, who ruled Moldavia in the 2nd half of the 15th century and the early 16th century.



    Like any genuine political leader, Stephen the Great first consolidated the capital, the Citadel of Suceava, located in the north of todays Romania. The first fort had been erected as early as the end of the 14th century by Prince Petru Muşat. Subsequently, Stephen the Great extended the citadel adding an enclosure wall that made the citadel harder to conquer. The enclosure wall had bastions and battlements and was surrounded by moats. Within the citadel, ammunition and weapon storage depots as well as a powder depot were subsequently built. Suceava Citadel withstood the Turkish offensive of 1476 and the Polish attacks of 1485.



    Another citadel fortified by Stephen the Great was Neamţ Citadel, 70 km south of Suceava. Like in Suceava, the oldest fort had been erected by the same Petru Muşat, and Stephen the Great built the defensive wall and deepened and widened the moat. The citadel resisted the Ottoman attack of the 1476 campaign waged by Sultan Mehmet II against Stephen the Great.



    The 3rd citadel in the north of Moldavia that was extended by Stephen the Great is Hotin, which now belongs to Ukraine and which is located 115 km north of Suceava. There too Stephen the Great extended, elevated and widened the defensive walls. Hotin citadel also resisted the 1476 Turkish campaign. Stephen the Greats 4th citadel in the Suceava area was Roman, built from wood and clay in 1466, at 95 km south of his residence. The fortification lay in a plain area, close to Siret River, and was made up of 7 towers connected by walls which were surrounded by moats. The fortification was used as an outpost.



    Stephen the Greats citadels were meant to defend Moldavia from enemies coming from the four cardinal points. The prince attached great importance to the citadels on the Dniester and Danube rivers as well.



    The Tartars invasions from the east caused the biggest damage to Moldavia. Historian Gheorghe Postică from the Free International University in Chisinau, the Republic of Moldova, studied the fortifications on the Dniester and the Danube.



    Gheorghe Postică: “The defensive system on the Dniester, a line built from north to south, from the mountains to the sea, was not something accidental. It clearly delineated two spaces: the Romanian space and the space of a different origin located beyond the Dniester, even beyond the Bug and the Dnieper. The citadels reinforce the existence of two worlds, a delineation that occurred in the early Middle Ages and continued through the late Middle Ages.



    Stephen the Greats 4 citadels on the Dniester show the importance of securing the eastern border and Moldavias expansion towards the river. Besides the Hotin Citadel, which had to also defend the north of Moldavia, ruler Stephen the Great relied on the citadels in Soroca, Orhei, Tighina and Cetatea Albă. The latter together with the citadel in Chilia were meant to defend the south of Moldavia on the Danube, while the Crăciuna citadel, won over from Wallachia, from the Vrancea and Sub-Carpathian area, was meant to defend the southern land border with Wallachia.



    Gheorghe Postică believes that Soroca was built in the style of western citadels by constructors from the Romanian side of Transylvania.



    Gheorghe Postică: “Soroca citadel was built in the same fashion as the Italian citadels. Despite its unusual shape, the citadel is a common one. During the Medieval Period, in the European countries, the stone citadels were often erected by professional constructors from other regions or countries. This happened in England, France and Germany. Soroca was erected by builders from Bistriţa, as shown on an inscription.



    Stephen the Greats citadels were Renaissance models of state defense, of warfare and of economic, cultural and scientific consolidation. During the Ottoman expansion, many of the citadels were left derelict and others were demolished. These citadels, considered historical monuments, are now being refurbished.


    (translated by: Lacramioara Simion)

  • Lo stendardo liturgico del Principe Stefano il Grande

    Lo stendardo liturgico del Principe Stefano il Grande

    Personalità politica dominante nella storia dei romeni nella seconda metà del 15/o secolo, il principe moldavo Stefano il Grande regnò dal 1457 al 1504. Fu il più lungo regno nella storia della Romania, dopo quello di Re Carlo I. Fu vassallo dell’Ungheria, della Polonia e dell’Impero Ottomano, bilanciando tra le tre potenze per mantenere la neutralità della Moldavia. Tentò di modernizzare l’esercito e costruì un sistema di fortezze per difendere la frontiera orientale dagli attacchi dei tartari.

    Le più clamorose vittorie dal principe Stefano il Grande furono quella di Baia, contro il re dell’Ungheria, nel 1467, di Lipnic nel 1469 contro i tartari, di Vaslui nel 1475 contro i turchi, nonchè quella contro il re della Polonia, nel 1497, a Codrii Cosminului. Costruì 21 chiese e monasteri, per cui fu canonizzato dalla Chiesa Ortodossa Romena nel 1992. Stefano il Grande ebbe tre mogli e sette figli. Si spense a luglio 1504, all’età di 65 anni, e venne sepolto al Monastero di Putna.

    Tra i pochi oggetti rimasti dal principe moldavo si annovera anche il suo stendardo liturgico. Stefano il Grande visse nei tempi delle tarde crociate e il simbolismo religioso ebbe una grande influenza nei suoi combattimenti. Lo stendardo è un ricamo bizantino, tessuto nella Moldavia quattrocentesca, a forma di quadrato i cui lati misurano un metro. Fu rinvenuto nel 1882 in seguito ai viaggi balcanici dello scrittore Teodor Burada, il quale ha tentato di convincere i monaci del Monastero di Zografou del Monte Athos di venderglielo. L’oggetto era stato donato al convento athonita dagli eredi del principe Stefano. Il fallimento dei negoziati rinviò il ritorno dello stendardo in possesso dello stato romeno. Ciò avvenne nel 1917, in pieno conflitto mondiale, con l’impegno diretto della Francia.

    Il direttore del Museo Nazionale di Storia della Romania, Ernest Oberlander-Tarnoveanu, presenta l’oggetto custodito dal 1970 dall’istituzione che dirige. Questo ricamo ha una caratteristica di eccezione: raffigura San Giorgio sul trono, un’immagine non molto abituale nell’iconografia di questo importantissimo santo. San Giorgio tiene in mano una spada sguainata, mentre gli angeli gli mettono la corona del martirio. Gli stessi angeli gli consegnano una spada e uno scudo per difendere attivamente e passivamente la Cristianità. Forse la cosa più strana è che San Giorgio sta con i piedi sopra un drago a tre teste. Una raffigurazione rarissima, in quanto noi lo conosciamo dall’immagine in cui uccide il drago mentre sta a cavallo davanti a una fortezza, per difendere una principessa minacciata dal mostro. Quel drago ha solo una testa. Invece, le tre teste di quello rappresentato sullo stendardo liturgico ricordano gli allora maggiori nemici della fede: la massima, collocata a destra, era l’islam, mentre le altre due fanno riferimento a varie correnti eretiche che minacciavano, nella visione dell’uomo medioevale, la pace del mondo, spiega il direttore del Museo Nazionale di Storia della Romania.

    Ernest Oberlander-Tarnoveanu aggiunge che il ricamo di Stefano non è solo un oggetto d’arte, ma anche fonte di ricerca per altre discipline, come la linguistica. Rappresenta non solo un capolavoro tecnico e, secondo me, è probabilmente uno dei più pregiati ricami bizantini tardi del mondo. Questa tecnica impeccabile ha reso possibile la sua manutenzione, nonostante le disgrazie subite dalle persone nelle cui mani era capitato. Sul ricamo è inciso anche un testo a carattere autobiografico, come una dichiarazione di Stefano il Grande. La parte iniziale è il Troparion de San Giorgio, una preghiera consueta e nota. Nella seconda parte, Stefano lo recita. Sappiamo che era un principe colto, conosceva lo slavo ecclesiastico, quindi, sicuramente, anche i testi liturgici. Questi fatti risalgono all’anno 7008, il 43/o del suo regno, quindi 1500 dopo Cristo. Un testo religioso noto, cui Stefano aggiunge il suo contributo, per cui, a mio avviso, si tratta di una delle più importanti fonti letterarie originali conservatesi dal Medio Evo romeno. Ha un carattere autobiografico, ma anche una confessione. Un documento profondamente umano: Stefano si preparava ad entrare in un altro secolo e in un altro mondo, conclude il direttore del Museo Nazionale di Storia della Romania, Ernest Oberlander-Tarnoveanu.

  • Christmas Traditions

    Christmas Traditions

    Starting December 6th, the feast day of Saint Nicholas, and
    until January 6th, the day when we celebrate the Epiphany, winter
    holidays are in full swing. In the past, people used to organize handicraft
    evening sittings where householders would spin wool and knit warm woolen or
    hemp clothing for the family members and would tell stories on the latest
    gossip in the village. They would eat boiled corn grains, dried fruit, nuts and
    other relishes the host had prepared on that occasion. On that day
    carol-singers start making Christmas arrangements. This is when lads’ groups
    assemble, when masks are made and carols are sung. In traditional villages, it
    is a time when people start tidying their homes and prepare to cook pork meals.
    Pigs are slaughtered on a special day, called Ignat, and the meat is used to
    make sausages, black pudding, haggis, sarmale (mincemeat cabbage rolls) and
    pork steaks that people cook in large earthen pots on Christmas Eve.


    The large snowflakes, the scented smell of freshly-baked pound cake,
    white-bearded Santa Claus and carolers’ voices echoing in the village, all
    these add up to the fairy-tale atmosphere setting in around Christmas time. Starting
    on Christmas Eve, children bearing sleigh-bells and whips start caroling,
    enlivening the entire village. According to tradition, it is bad omen not to
    welcome them, since they bring the blessed news of our Lord’s birth and ward
    off evil by the flick of their whips. Until late into the night, villages hum
    with carol tunes. Carol-singers are often rewarded with nuts, knot-shaped
    bread, apples and, nowadays, money.


    Northern Bukovina is well-known for keeping tradition alive concerning
    Christmas Eve rituals. 12 plates with 12 fasting dishes are placed on a table,
    which in Bukovina is usually square. A
    fish is placed between the 12 dishes as a symbol of Christ. Next the family
    enacts a ritual about the marriage of earth and sky. A round-shaped bread is
    placed in the middle of the table, standing for the Sun and the Moon, next to a
    candle representing the pillar of the sky.


    This is followed by a special ceremony: the eldest member of the family
    exits the house carrying a tray with 12 spoons and one of each of the 12 food
    types, the round-shaped bread and the candle. He circles the house, stopping by
    each corner to conjure the spirit of the rain to come in due time and
    reasonable quantity, so that the earth can bear fruit again. The food is then given
    to the cattle, while the man of the house goes in and places the bread and the
    candle on the table.


    Then, the entire family says Our Lord’s Prayer and thanks God for
    blessing them with another year of happiness and for allowing all of them to be
    there, since all the relatives get together at Christmas. Only then do they sit
    down at the table. However they don’t eat until they remember all those
    departed.


    Even today, it is believed that on December 24th, the
    spirits of the dead come back to life and they have to eat and drink. For this
    reason, once the Christmas Eve meal is ceremoniously concluded, all the
    leftovers are gathered on a big platter and are left by the window along with a
    cup of water until the Epiphany Eve, when they are either given to the cattle
    or thrown away in a river or spring.

    On Christmas morning, the first who
    wake up are the children who rush into finding the presents Santa has left for
    them under the Christmas tree. On Christmas Day people sing carols on the
    Bethlehem narrative in the Bible or enact Nativity episodes from the Bible.
    Performances are often followed by a symbolic clash between the old year and
    the new one, which concludes in the form of a wishing ceremony.


    The star boys’ singing procession is
    another custom performed by children in all areas of the country to commemorate
    the star announcing the birth of our Lord. The star boys are children or young
    boys clad in traditional costumes with multicolored ribbons, sometimes wearing
    wizards’ hats bearing Biblical names. The carolers’ reward is all the more
    generous as the carol itself is more touching. The boys are given a big bread
    roll, bacon and sausages; the food is collected by the Baggers. The food is
    then used at another youth celebration, named the beer, on the second day of
    Christmas. To prepare that, the lads place barley or oat somewhere to sprout,
    well in advance, and then make the beer, a drink they would have for the
    Christmas Party.


    In the Apuseni Mountains, boys go
    caroling with a fiddler, and visit the houses of eligible girls. In the Mures
    region the custom of the drums is widespread; these are a sort of drums made of
    animal skin. Householders receive the drummers with a lot of respect and joy,
    welcoming them to carol and sing in every house. The boys’ group is the
    best-known group of carolers in Fagaras Country.


    The boys group custom unfolds
    according to a well-designed pattern, handed down from generation to
    generation; first, the group is formed on Sanicoara’s Day, then the host is
    chosen, as well as the hierarchy, the key positions being those of the great
    bailiff, of the small bailiff, of those responsible with taking the girls out
    to dance; then there are the boys who play an administrative role (the publican
    tending to the drinks, the cashier, who collects the pay and the gifts for the
    fiddlers, while the flag keeper tends to the flag – the group’s most precious
    object). In the villages across Brasov County there are three types of boys’
    groups: boys’ groups with flags, typical for villages at the foot of the
    mountain, then there are the boys’ groups with tip-cats, and boys’ groups with
    clubs, which speaks about the archaic initiation kit.


    The flag is usually made of two
    vividly colored headscarves, which are tied to a stick 1 to 2 meters long,
    wrapped up around sticks with a cross at the top, as well as various other
    adornments. When the group is caroling, the flag is pinned either at the loft
    of the host’s home, or at the gates, and is hoisted on a very long stick. Those
    who are not part of the group have the right to steal the flag, and if they
    can do that, the group needs to take it back by paying for so much drink as the
    thieves ask for (usually about 10 to 20 litres of wine) and the boys’ group is
    usually put to shame if their flag is stolen.


    The Bistrita region also preserves
    old customs and traditions. On Christmas Night, kids’ teams are formed:
    hobbyhorse dancers, Turks, green stars, Herods, who go caroling around the
    village. The caroling starts from both ends of the village and when teams
    travel halfway through, a big round dance is formed. Then the elders get ready,
    they also split in groups and first carol their neighbors, their friends, and
    then their distant relatives. One to three people join the group at every house
    that receives the carolers, and in the end, at daybreak, they sing a carol
    called The day dawny-dawn. Then they go home, change clothes and go to
    church, attend Mass, and after that, they sing the carol O, hear the glad
    tidings, in the church yard. Then they come home, make merry, and the
    following evening they visit the relatives they did not get round to visiting
    the first day. That’s how people used to spend their holidays a long time ago,
    and that the custom has endured to this day.


    In some villages in Moldavia there is
    also the belief that the heavens open on Christmas Night. Nowadays, festivals
    are organized around Christmas, re-enacting habits and customs, which are still
    preserved in the Romanian traditional village.





  • Christmas Traditions

    Christmas Traditions

    Starting December 6th, the feast day of Saint Nicholas, and
    until January 6th, the day when we celebrate the Epiphany, winter
    holidays are in full swing. In the past, people used to organize handicraft
    evening sittings where householders would spin wool and knit warm woolen or
    hemp clothing for the family members and would tell stories on the latest
    gossip in the village. They would eat boiled corn grains, dried fruit, nuts and
    other relishes the host had prepared on that occasion. On that day
    carol-singers start making Christmas arrangements. This is when lads’ groups
    assemble, when masks are made and carols are sung. In traditional villages, it
    is a time when people start tidying their homes and prepare to cook pork meals.
    Pigs are slaughtered on a special day, called Ignat, and the meat is used to
    make sausages, black pudding, haggis, sarmale (mincemeat cabbage rolls) and
    pork steaks that people cook in large earthen pots on Christmas Eve.


    The large snowflakes, the scented smell of freshly-baked pound cake,
    white-bearded Santa Claus and carolers’ voices echoing in the village, all
    these add up to the fairy-tale atmosphere setting in around Christmas time. Starting
    on Christmas Eve, children bearing sleigh-bells and whips start caroling,
    enlivening the entire village. According to tradition, it is bad omen not to
    welcome them, since they bring the blessed news of our Lord’s birth and ward
    off evil by the flick of their whips. Until late into the night, villages hum
    with carol tunes. Carol-singers are often rewarded with nuts, knot-shaped
    bread, apples and, nowadays, money.


    Northern Bukovina is well-known for keeping tradition alive concerning
    Christmas Eve rituals. 12 plates with 12 fasting dishes are placed on a table,
    which in Bukovina is usually square. A
    fish is placed between the 12 dishes as a symbol of Christ. Next the family
    enacts a ritual about the marriage of earth and sky. A round-shaped bread is
    placed in the middle of the table, standing for the Sun and the Moon, next to a
    candle representing the pillar of the sky.


    This is followed by a special ceremony: the eldest member of the family
    exits the house carrying a tray with 12 spoons and one of each of the 12 food
    types, the round-shaped bread and the candle. He circles the house, stopping by
    each corner to conjure the spirit of the rain to come in due time and
    reasonable quantity, so that the earth can bear fruit again. The food is then given
    to the cattle, while the man of the house goes in and places the bread and the
    candle on the table.


    Then, the entire family says Our Lord’s Prayer and thanks God for
    blessing them with another year of happiness and for allowing all of them to be
    there, since all the relatives get together at Christmas. Only then do they sit
    down at the table. However they don’t eat until they remember all those
    departed.


    Even today, it is believed that on December 24th, the
    spirits of the dead come back to life and they have to eat and drink. For this
    reason, once the Christmas Eve meal is ceremoniously concluded, all the
    leftovers are gathered on a big platter and are left by the window along with a
    cup of water until the Epiphany Eve, when they are either given to the cattle
    or thrown away in a river or spring.

    On Christmas morning, the first who
    wake up are the children who rush into finding the presents Santa has left for
    them under the Christmas tree. On Christmas Day people sing carols on the
    Bethlehem narrative in the Bible or enact Nativity episodes from the Bible.
    Performances are often followed by a symbolic clash between the old year and
    the new one, which concludes in the form of a wishing ceremony.


    The star boys’ singing procession is
    another custom performed by children in all areas of the country to commemorate
    the star announcing the birth of our Lord. The star boys are children or young
    boys clad in traditional costumes with multicolored ribbons, sometimes wearing
    wizards’ hats bearing Biblical names. The carolers’ reward is all the more
    generous as the carol itself is more touching. The boys are given a big bread
    roll, bacon and sausages; the food is collected by the Baggers. The food is
    then used at another youth celebration, named the beer, on the second day of
    Christmas. To prepare that, the lads place barley or oat somewhere to sprout,
    well in advance, and then make the beer, a drink they would have for the
    Christmas Party.


    In the Apuseni Mountains, boys go
    caroling with a fiddler, and visit the houses of eligible girls. In the Mures
    region the custom of the drums is widespread; these are a sort of drums made of
    animal skin. Householders receive the drummers with a lot of respect and joy,
    welcoming them to carol and sing in every house. The boys’ group is the
    best-known group of carolers in Fagaras Country.


    The boys group custom unfolds
    according to a well-designed pattern, handed down from generation to
    generation; first, the group is formed on Sanicoara’s Day, then the host is
    chosen, as well as the hierarchy, the key positions being those of the great
    bailiff, of the small bailiff, of those responsible with taking the girls out
    to dance; then there are the boys who play an administrative role (the publican
    tending to the drinks, the cashier, who collects the pay and the gifts for the
    fiddlers, while the flag keeper tends to the flag – the group’s most precious
    object). In the villages across Brasov County there are three types of boys’
    groups: boys’ groups with flags, typical for villages at the foot of the
    mountain, then there are the boys’ groups with tip-cats, and boys’ groups with
    clubs, which speaks about the archaic initiation kit.


    The flag is usually made of two
    vividly colored headscarves, which are tied to a stick 1 to 2 meters long,
    wrapped up around sticks with a cross at the top, as well as various other
    adornments. When the group is caroling, the flag is pinned either at the loft
    of the host’s home, or at the gates, and is hoisted on a very long stick. Those
    who are not part of the group have the right to steal the flag, and if they
    can do that, the group needs to take it back by paying for so much drink as the
    thieves ask for (usually about 10 to 20 litres of wine) and the boys’ group is
    usually put to shame if their flag is stolen.


    The Bistrita region also preserves
    old customs and traditions. On Christmas Night, kids’ teams are formed:
    hobbyhorse dancers, Turks, green stars, Herods, who go caroling around the
    village. The caroling starts from both ends of the village and when teams
    travel halfway through, a big round dance is formed. Then the elders get ready,
    they also split in groups and first carol their neighbors, their friends, and
    then their distant relatives. One to three people join the group at every house
    that receives the carolers, and in the end, at daybreak, they sing a carol
    called The day dawny-dawn. Then they go home, change clothes and go to
    church, attend Mass, and after that, they sing the carol O, hear the glad
    tidings, in the church yard. Then they come home, make merry, and the
    following evening they visit the relatives they did not get round to visiting
    the first day. That’s how people used to spend their holidays a long time ago,
    and that the custom has endured to this day.


    In some villages in Moldavia there is
    also the belief that the heavens open on Christmas Night. Nowadays, festivals
    are organized around Christmas, re-enacting habits and customs, which are still
    preserved in the Romanian traditional village.





  • President Klaus Iohannis’s New Year’s address

    President Klaus Iohannis’s New Year’s address

    In his New Year’s address, Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis told the Romanians that 2017 was a year of probation in which society proved its maturity and attachment to democratic values. The future ushers in new challenges but the lessons of the past give us confidence that together, in unity and solidarity, we have the strength to build a better Romania for us and for the future generations. For each of us this is the right moment to strike a balance and evaluate our accomplishments and what we plan to achieve next, president Iohannis went on to say recalling that in 2018 the Romanians celebrate the centennial of the Great Union of 1918. However, the fist stage in the foundation of the Romanian unitary state was what is known as the Small Union, accomplished under the rule of Romania’s ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza, an attempt of political will of the two Romanian principalities, Moldavia and Wallachia. On January 24th 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza — who had been elected a week before as ruler of Moldavia — was also unanimously voted by the Elective Assembly in Bucharest as sovereign of Wallachia and the united principalities. That was the birth certificate of the new state made up of the two principalities inhabited by Romanians. The union was internationally recognized three years later and the newborn state got the name of Romania. Through its radical reforms, Alexandru Ioan Cuza’s rule (1859 — 1866), laid the institutional foundations of modern Romania. Romania joined WWl and the unification process culminated with the Great Union of 1918 when the provinces with Romanian majorities that until that time had been under the administration of the neighbouring multinational empires joined the Romanian kingdom. After WWll Romania lost Bessarabia and northern Bukovina.

  • El Acuerdo de Libre Comercio República de Moldavia – UE

    El Acuerdo de Libre Comercio República de Moldavia – UE

    El 13 de noviembre de 2014, el pleno del Parlamento Europeo votó a favor de la ratificación del Acuerdo de Asociación entre la República de Moldavia y la UE: un tratado internacional que prevé la cooperación en los ámbitos del comercio, la política de seguridad y la cultura, con el fin de conseguir una integración más profunda desde el punto de vista político, cultural y económico.


    El Acuerdo de Asociación incluye también un Acuerdo de Libre Comercio Amplio y Profundo destinadado a eliminar parte de las barreras al comercio entre este antiguo Estado soviético y la Unión. De esta forma todas las partes implicadas tienen mejor acceso al mercado y se contempla incluso eliminar las tasas aduaneras de importación (y exportación, en su caso) del comercio de los productos.


    Igual que en otros casos en que Bruselas establece Zonas de Libre Comercio con sus socios comerciales, también en la República de Moldavia han sido incluidos sectores que van más allá del comercio, con la idea de que es difícil separar el comercio de las políticas internas de adquisiciones, competencia, propiedad intelectual o desarrrollo duradero.


    En el caso de la República de Moldavia, su estatuto de miembro de la Asociación Oriental le ha concedido una posición especial en la relación con Bruselas, y el acuerdo tiene previsiones acordes con el acervo comunitario. Todo esto, para modernizar la economía, atraer inversiones comunitarias en el país y para que las políticas aplicadas sean predictibles.


    El Acuerdo de Libre Comercio con la UE ofrece una serie de ventajas a la República de Moldavia. Sin embargo la comisaria europea de Comercio, Cecilia Malmström, advierte que no se ha aprovechado todo el potencial. Su reciente visita ha tenido lugar en el contexto en que el Gobierno de la República de Moldavia se ha pronunciado a favor de la profundización de la implementación del Acuerdo de Libre Comercio, mientras que el presidente prorruso de este país, Igor Dodon, pide que sea completamente revisado.


    Al hablar en el marco de una rueda de prensa común con el primer ministro Pavel Filip, la comisaria europea se ha referido a la posibilidad de exportar al mercado común productos de origen animal procedentes de la República de Moldavia. Según Ceciliei Malmström, además de las condiciones técnicas obligatorias como las normas de seguridad de los alimentos, hace falta implementar leyes predictibles y transparentes que ofrezcan seguridad a los inversores. Las exportaciones de la República de Moldavia al mercado europeo están al alza, y actualmente se debate la posibilidad de vender carne y huevos a la Unión Europea, ha informado Pavel Filip:



    Hablo en primer lugar de la posibilidad de exportar productos de origen animal. Claro que nos quedan muchas cosas por hacer para cumplir todos los estándares, pero para nosotros las perspectivas son claras.



    En opinión del analista Vlad Ţurcanu, el comercio con la UE le ha permitido a la República de Moldavia mantenerse a flote después de las crisis sucesivas que han afectado a la economía del país en los últimos 20 años. Ha criticado también las opiniones del presidente Igor Dodon, quien desea que la República de Moldavia exporte a la Federación Rusa materia prima. Según Vlad Ţurcanu, esta medida avanzada por el líder prorruso perjudicaría a los productores autóctonos.



    Lo que he entendido del discurso vacío que Igor Dodon suele repetir cada vez que se le ofrece la oportunidad, es que deberíamos centrarnos en la relación con la Federación Rusa, y exportar verduras, frutas y vino a la Federación Rusa. Es decir continuar la misma política comercial que existió durante la República Socialista Soviética Moldava, antes de 1991. Esto significa proveer materia prima a la Federación Rusa y dejar que el plusvalor obtenido por nuestros productores baje por debajo de un punto porcentual.



    Una situación especial en esta ecuación la tiene la zona de Transnistria, región separatista prorrusa situada en el este de la República de Moldavia.


    Después de sellado el Acuerdo de Asociación en el mes de noviembre de 2013, en Vilnius, la región transnistrense se ha beneficiado de facilidades comerciales autónomas de parte de la UE. Esto ha hecho que durante dos años casi un 50% de las mercancías exportadas procedentes de Transnistria lleguen al mercado europeo. Estas facilidades comerciales vencieron a finales del año 2015 y el Acuerdo de Libre Comercio Amplio y Profundo se ha extendido a partir del 1 de enero de 2016 a todo el territorio de la República de Moldavia, incluida la región de Transnistria. De esta forma todos los agentes económicos de la República de Moldavia, inclusive los de la región transnistrense pudieron exportar sus mercancías a la Unión Europea en base al mismo régimen de libre comercio. Transnistria ha anunciado que no implementará el Acuerdo de Libre Comercio con la UE porque contraviene a su política exterior, establecida en el referéndum sobre la integración de su región en la Unión Eurasiática. Transnistria ha conseguido un régimen asimétrico, en el que Tiraspol cobra tasas aduaneras pero las exportaciones transnistrenses llegan a los mercados de la UE sin tasas aduaneras.


    La decisión de incluir a Transnistra en este acuerdo atiende a un objetivo mayor, explican algunos analistas: el de solucionar el conflicto transnistrense a través de una integración económica más intensa de la República de Moldavia con la UE.