The lower house of the Romanian Parliament approved a bill on unification with Moldova

Romania’s Chamber of Deputies approved, through a “silent approval” procedure, a high-profile legislative initiative that provides for the start of negotiations on the country’s unification with the Republic of Moldova. 

The bill passed the lower house automatically after the 45-day period established by law for debate and voting expired. 

This bill was introduced on April 14 by representatives of the far-right political party S.O.S. România. Although the bill received official negative opinions from the Romanian government, as well as from the relevant legal committee and the human rights committee, deputies never convened in the chamber to discuss it in detail or reject it. Under this legal provision, the bill is considered to have been adopted by the Chamber of Deputies by default and is now being forwarded to the Senate for consideration, which will make the final decision.

In the unlikely event that the Senate approves the law and it is published in the Official Gazette, the Romanian government will be required to immediately begin direct intergovernmental negotiations with Chisinau. The text of the initiative also provides for a mandatory official notification regarding the launch of the unification process to key international institutions and partners, including the UN, NATO, the European Union, and the United States. However, most Romanian analysts agree that the document is likely to be quickly rejected by the Senate, as the country’s leading coalition forces do not support such radical steps. Meanwhile, Romanian President Nicușor Dan stated that a scenario involving the unification of Romania and Moldova would be possible only when the majority of the neighboring country’s population wants it.

This was reported by the Romanian TV channel Digi24, citing official parliamentary documents.

Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister Eugen Osmochescu stated that the country could consider unification with Romania if the process of joining the European Union is blocked or significantly slowed down after 2028.

Earlier, Moldovan President Maia Sandu stated that the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the EU is not a “concession” on Europe’s part, but a strategic choice for the security of the entire continent. She emphasized that both countries have already proven their right to be part of the European Union by choosing the European path under difficult conditions.