Stories from the middle of the “European Moldova” Assembly: “I came from Belgium especially for this day”

A family came all the way from Belgium to chant “Moldova is Europe!” in PMAN. A young man went out in the centre of Chisinau “to show the world that there is more to Moldova than the Shor Party”. A mother brought her eight-month-old son to PMAN to learn European values and take them forward. A man, moved to tears, thanked Ukraine for peace, hoping both countries would find themselves in the EU and NATO. These are just some of the statements from citizens who came out on Sunday 21 May at the “European Moldova” National Assembly.

At 11:00 a.m., the Great National Assembly Square had turned into an endless space. Thousands of tricolour and European Union flags fluttered in the wind. From the stage, “Take me, take me to the land of the doin / Take me, take me to the land of flowers” resounded. And the sea of people kept moving towards the other side of the Square, and the flow of people was getting denser and denser, so that for a moment you felt suffocated.

Carrying their flags jauntily, trumpeting “E-u-ro-pa!”, the citizens rushed to the long-awaited event. The state anthem was sung, followed by speeches by Moldovan President Maia Sandu and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. With equal enthusiasm, the crowd cheered “Moldova is Europe!”.

“Such emotions we have experienced only in ’89-’90”

Aurica, her husband and daughter came all the way from Belgium to chant “Moldova is Europe!” in the Square on 21 May. They have been living in Brussels for more than 20 years.

Aurica and her family in Belgium. photo: Igor Ionescu
“We came especially for this day, to make a reflection which values are important for us and to realize that we don’t win them so easily and we have to have a position and say it. We stand up for European values and a beautiful future here at home,” says Aurica.

Under the immortal music of Ion and Doina Aldea-Teodorivici, rotting with tears, Octavia from Rezina tells us that she came to the Square at the urge of her heart.

“I came today with all my heart, with all my soul. I am very emotional. We only experienced such emotions in 1989-1990 and we have high expectations for today’s meeting”, she says.

Octavia, Rezina. photo: Igor Ionescu
The unexpected twist of fate means that at this Great National Assembly, Doina and Ion Aldea-Teodorivici’s descendant, Cristofor, will perform the same patriotic songs sung by his parents during the years of the National Liberation Movement.

The words of Vitalie from Causeni are strikingly appropriate.