Why Bulgarians and Gagauzians in Moldova didn't support the Constitutional referendum on joining the EU?

The residents of the Bulgarian-populated region of Taraclia and the Gagauz Autonomous Area in the Republic of Moldova voted over 90% "no" in the October 20, 2024, referendum, where Moldovan citizens were asked if they approved Constitutional amendments allowing EU accession. Similarly, in the second round of the presidential election on November 3, 2024, they overwhelmingly supported Alexandr Stoianoglo, the opponent of Maia Sandu, who positioned herself as the pro-European candidate.

Results of the referendum voting in Taraclia region

Ten days before the Constitutional referendum, during a visit to Chisinau, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU would support the Moldovan economy with €1.8 billion from 2025 to 2027- the largest financial aid the country has received since gaining independence in 1992 until today.

Maia Sandu and EC President Ursula von der Leyen at one of their many meetings

With significant support from the Moldovan diaspora, primarily based in the EU and North America, Maia Sandu won the November 3 elections with 55% support against Stoianoglo's 44%.

Maia Sandu on the night of her election victory (November 3, 2024)

Bulgarians and Gagauzians in Moldova traditionally vote against pro-Romanian parties, viewing them as nationalist. Although Maia Sandu's Action and Solidarity Party is not unionist and even opposes Romanian unionists led by George Simion, Bulgarians and Gagauzians in Moldova do not trust her. Neither does Sandu’s party seek to influence the Bulgarian and Gagauz community in southern Moldova, nor do these communities attempt to establish contacts within her movement.

Bulgarians in Moldova want a designated policy for ethnic minorities

This is the opinion of Alexander Lambov, a political science doctoral student at the University of National and World Economy in Sofia who lives in Chișinău and works as a programmer, stated in an interview for Radio Bulgaria.

When asked about Bulgarians' and Gagauzians' views on the EU, Lambov comments that people in these southern Moldovan regions understand that EU membership would boost Moldova’s economic development. However, their motivation for voting "against" in the referendum is not economic, as many of them work in the EU. Their concerns lie on the political and social level:

"I'm speaking here only about the Bulgarian and Gagauz regions, not all of Moldova, because this doesn't apply to the entire country. There is a feeling in this region that Bulgarians and Gagauzians living in Moldova will lose socially from EU membership - not because of the membership itself, but because it would 'cement' the power of pro-Romanian and nationalist forces, which are strongly viewed negatively in the region. In my opinion, this is the main reason behind much of the opposition to the EU movement in the referendum."

Lambov adds that if President Maia Sandu says, "The EU - this is me" and the EU does not counter this statement, people in these regions conclude they do not want that kind of EU. Asked whether Bulgarians and Gagauzians would like their own trusted representatives to communicate with European institutions and what role Bulgaria could play in this respect as an EU member, he replies:

"I think Bulgaria could take specific actions aimed at changing the situation. But the issue with the European path isn’t with Bulgaria, at least as I see it. The obstacle in this region is the lack of contact with Chișinău. Without cooperation from Chișinău, Bulgaria cannot resolve this problem. Some changes in Chișinău’s policy toward the Bulgarian and Gagauz regions are needed. That's the important part. Otherwise, Bulgaria could play a positive role in this process."

The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs finances the renovation of buildings in Taraclia (photo from 2023)

Lambov praises the agreement between Bulgarian and Moldovan authorities allowing the establishment of a branch of Ruse University in Taraclia. When asked what changes in relations with Chișinău could build trust between the southern Moldovan minorities and the Moldovan government, he suggests that these might involve guarantees for the use of the Russian language after EU accession, even if only regionally and without contact with Russian authorities. However, Lambov is skeptical this will happen anytime soon - because, in his view, Maia Sandu is not flexible enough as a politician, and her electorate would not support such actions. The Bessarabian Bulgarian explains that many southern Moldovans do not speak Romanian well or learn it only if they move to the capital.

There will be a Bulgarian cultural information centre in Moldova's Taraclia

In recent years, Moldovan authorities have campaigned against Russian propaganda and disinformation in the country and sought to limit the use of the Russian language. In 2021, the Moldovan Constitutional Court repealed a law passed by the previous parliament that would have allowed minorities in the country to use Russian. The law would have required product, service, and medication labels sold in the country to include Russian. On December 24, 2021, when Maia Sandu took the oath for her first term, she spoke not only in Romanian but also in Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, and Gagauz. She declared at the time that she "loves and respects equally all citizens of the country, regardless of their ethnicity and religion." "For me, all citizens are equal. I will work with you so you feel secure and can develop, learn, and speak your mother tongue. All of us have been robbed. I want to restore justice for all citizens of our country," Sandu said then in each of the four minority languages in Moldova.

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Photos: EPA/BGNES, AP/BTA, Presidency of Moldova, personal archive of Alexander Lambov, Bulgarian Spirit Foundation

English publication: Rositsa Petkova