The Socialists declared war on Europe Day. A group of deputies registered on Monday, in the Parliament, a draft amendment to modify the calendar of commemorative, holiday and rest days in Moldova. According to the draft, the Europe Day should be excluded from the list of holidays declared “rest day” and celebrated on May 8 and not on the 9th, together with the celebration of “victory in the great war for the defense of the homeland.” The “parallel celebration” of the two events on the same day, – the socialists claim, “diminish the historical significance of Victory Day”.

Why don’t the socialists want Europe Day on May 9?

Anatol Petrencu, historian

Nazi Germany capitulated on the night of May 8-9, 1945. With this act, the war ended. It was a historic day, which people of the Western Europe wanted to celebrate on May 8, and the USSR on May 9 (due to time zone difference). After five years, on May 9, 1950, the head of the French Foreign Ministry, R. Schuman, proposed to form an European states alliance, which today is the European Union. It is a historic day in Europe. Russia considers that the victory over Nazi Germany was exclusively the USSR victory, and May 9 is only for them. Russian and Dodon’s propaganda want to force on us the May 9 as the victory day, because this is a way to show Russia’s greatness. What is the solution to this dilemma? Moldova has officially stated that it wants EU integration, thus on May 9, Moldova must officially celebrate Europe Day. Those who want to celebrate something else on this day could do it, but only in compliance with law.

Valentina Cușnir, Diaspora, Italy, former Member of Parliament

Parliament has established unfavorable relationships with its citizens. How can you afford to come to Parliament with this stupid draft decision against Europe Day during a pandemic, economic, and social crisis, when the people is suffering? All of that, while the majority of the Moldovan population wants European integration. How to hold on to old ideological stereotypes and oppose a holiday close to the soul of both those who have left and those at home, who together want a peaceful and common Europe for all. The Socialists, after losing the elections, are in a convulsion of death and, in order not to die sitting, they try to get to work. By the way, the communists, the more they forbade the Christian holidays, the more people celebrated. The same will happen in this case.

Vlad Biletchi, president of Unirea- ODIP (platform supporting the  Unification with Romania)

The socialists have failed miserably in governance and have achieved absolutely nothing of the public commitments regarding reforms, the economic situation, the increase of salaries, pensions. Also, the so-called socialists – representatives of Putin’s interests in Chișinău, low-ranking aristocrats, profiteers in their interest, in detriment of the collective society, whenever they needed to plot another robbery or betrayal, speculated on sensitive topics for society – the status of the Russian language, Gagauz autonomy and more recently – Europe Day. All – to antagonize the European-oriented society with the pro-Russian one. And 75 years after the end of World War II, they are still shouting “victory” in the streets, while all civilized people normally celebrate Europe Day – a day of conciliation, peace, and commemoration of those who fell on the battlefields. The world needs reconciliation, not military parades.

Ion Costaș, former Minister of Defense

Why? Because, in their capacity as servants of Russian interests in Moldova, the socialists have done and are doing Moscow’s policies. It’s an anachronism. The war was a world war, but the victory would have been theirs alone. The USSR had practically privatized the victory in World War II. The only victorious force was to be considered the Soviet Army, and for that, they needed a day of their victory, separate from the rest of Europe and the rest of the world, May 9. The Soviet Union is gone, but Soviet traditions have remained. Why? Because Russia does not want to give up the holidays and, respectively, its influence in the ex-Soviet space. Moldova, from the moment it announced its European integration course, has nothing to guess. On May 8 we celebrate, along with all of Europe, the end of the war, and on May 9 – Europe Day.