Competing nation-building projects in Bessarabia, Transnistria, and the Republic Moldova:...
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COMPETING NATION-BUILDING PROJECTS IN BESSARABIA, TRANSNISTRIA, AND THE REPUBLIC MOLDOVA: DECONSTRUCTING A PLURAL IDENTITY . Petru NEGURA, Ph.D
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In my presentation I will discuss the nation-building projects that have been implemented in Bessarabia and Transnistria (current territory of the Republic of Moldova) in the 19th and 20th centuries. Discussing these competing projects, generally elaborated outside these regions, will help us to better understand the so-called “identity crisis” that the population of Moldova, both the political and intellectual elite and ordinary people, is facing during the last 20 years
Transcript of Competing nation-building projects in Bessarabia, Transnistria, and the Republic Moldova:...
COMPETING NATION-BUILDING PROJECTS IN BESSARABIA, TRANSNISTRIA, AND THE REPUBLIC MOLDOVA: DECONSTRUCTING A PLURAL IDENTITY.
Petru NEGURA, Ph.D
The Republic of Moldova and its challenges
3,3 mln / 4,2 mln population (with Transnistria)
Transnistrian conflict and separatist region
Economic challenges (the poorest country in Europe)
Mass migration (officially up to 0.5 mln)
Split between the Russian space and Europe
„Identity crisis”?
The “identity crisis” in the Rep. of Moldova
Definitions of the „identity crisis” in RM: Lack of consensus on the identity
perception within the the group of Romanian speaking Moldovans
A component of the Romanianist “nationalizing discourse”
The Romanianist discourse
Followers: Romanian speaking intellectuals and some political parties (e.g. Liberal Party)
Slogan: “We are Romanians!” Strength: significant representation
among the Romanian speaking elites Weaknesses:
Lack of popularity Non representation of ethnic / linguistic
minority groups
The ethnic / identity structure in RM according to the 2004 census
0.00%10.00%20.00%30.00%40.00%50.00%60.00%70.00%80.00%
right-bank Moldova
75.80%
8.40%
5.90%4.40% 2.20%
1.90%
0.00%
69.60%
11.20%9.40%
3.80%1.90% 2.00%
0.10% 0.10% 1.00%
right-bank Moldova
The identification of the Moldovan citizens (multiple responses), 2004-2005
Moldovans / Romanians
Russians
Ukrainians
Gagauzes
Bulgarians
0% 50% 100%
Settler of XCitizen of RMRomanianMoldovan / Russian / Ukrainian / Gagauz / Bulgarian
Source: Etnobarometru, Institutul de Politici Publice, 2004-2005
The Moldovanist discourse
Followers: Political parties (Agrarian Party, Party of Communists) and a few historians
Slogan: “We are Moldovans (not Romanians)!”
Strength: large support among the majority population
Weakness: low representation among intellectual elite
1991-2013: “Romanianist” and “Moldovanist” political agendas
The years The main party or alliance at power in Parliament
National discourse
1991-1994 Mainly “democratic” deputies (the Popular Front)
Romanianist
1994-1998 The Agrarian Democratic Party (former Communist nomenklatura)
Moldovanist
1998-2001 Pro-Democratic Alliance (ADR)
Romanianist (moderated)
2001-2009 The Party of Communists of Moldova (former Communist nomenklatura)
Moldovanist
2009 – now Pro-Democratic alliance (AIE) Romanianist (moderated)
Moldova today: a conglomerate of competing nationalizing agendas
Two ethnic concepts of the Moldovan nation and neither civic one
What about the ethnic / linguistic minorities?
¼ of the population in the mainland Moldova and 1/3 with Transnistria
“Minorities” overrepresented in cities (33% in Chişinău municipality (i.e. including the villages around), 48% in Bălţi municipality
Nationalist proposals vs. everyday reception
“National indifference”? (Zahra, 2010) ‘Ethnic entrepreneurs’ and ‘ordinary
people’ (Brubaker, 2006) “The people” – object or subject of
nationalizing discourses / agendas? “Banal nationalism(s)” (M. Billig, 1995)
“Flammable” and “smoke-producing” identity issues concealing social and economic problems
Identity perceptions and geopolitical moods
The Romanianist discourse, associated with unionism (with Romania) and anti-Russian feeling
The Moldovanist discourse, coming together with pro-Russian mood and favorable to the Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan Customs Union
Bessarabia and Transnistria in the 19th century
Borderlands and / or provinces?
Demographic dynamics in Bessarabia during the 19th century
1817 1844 1861 1897 19150
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
3,000,000
482,000700,000
1,003,035
1,935,000
2,686,000
population
population
Demographic dynamics in Bessarabia during the 19th century (ethnic / linguistic groups)
1817 1844 1861 18970.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
80.00%
90.00%
100.00%
"Moldovans""Ukrainians""Russians""Bulgarians"*"Jews""Germans""Gagauz"
* "Bulgarians" included also "Gagauzes" in 1917, 1844, and 1861 censuses.
Romanian Bessarabia and Soviet Transnistria
Mass schooling Romanization /
Moldavization Modernization &
Industrialization The “people” –
object and target group of modernizing / nationalizing policies
Romanian Bessarabia and Soviet Moldavia: Generational gap and authority transfer
In the Romanian Bessarabia: The “Old Generation”: trained in the Russian
Empire –Romanian nationalists and unionists The “New Generation”: trained in Romanian
schools –regionalists The legitimacy of each group’s social capitals
In the Soviet Transnistria: The “Old Generation”: coming from Bessarabia
and Romania, trained in the “Ancien Régime” The “New Generation”: locals, trained in Soviet
schools
MASSR (1924-1940) and MSSR (1940-1991): an inconsistent national policy
MASSR: “Moldovanists” vs. “Romanianists”
MSSR: Transnistrians vs. Bessarabians Fighting for power and symbolic
definition of the language and cultural heritage (legitimizing the Moldovan nation)
1924-1956: Balancing between Moldovanist and Romanianist nationalizing policies
The 1950s: the “latent Romanianization” of the language, cultural heritage, and intellectual elites
Dividing “historical truths” and a shared future
Photos by © Pablo Chignard: http://www.pabloc.com/
