Vasile Tofan.
“If you live here, it’s only natural to learn Romanian. Yes, we are an open and hospitable people; we respect the languages of those who live here, and no one should have to give up their native language. But we also respect our own language, and we want people who choose to live in the Republic of Moldova to learn and speak Romanian. It’s a sign of respect for the country where you live. At the same time, the Romanian language allows all of us, regardless of what language we speak at home, to understand one another,” Tofan said at the opening of the Great National Dictation.
The prime minister also noted that the return to the Latin alphabet and the restoration of the Romanian language to the center of public life have been among the major achievements of the national revival.
Congratulations from Sandu and Dana
Maya Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova, noted in her address that today we can speak Romanian “freely, without fear.”
“All the more reason it is our duty to preserve it. And most importantly, to pass on to our children a love for the Romanian language, just as we received it from our ancestors. To leave them this precious legacy: a living, beautiful language…,” the head of state emphasized.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan also delivered an address on the occasion of Romanian Language Day, noting that for the first time, “we are celebrating together in three countries—Romania, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine.”
“Protecting the rights of Romanians around the world and promoting our language and culture remain key priorities for the Romanian state beyond its borders. We are united by this precious bond of the Romanian language, which roots us in history and paves the way for our future,” Dan wrote.
Background
It is worth noting that on August 31, 1989, the Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR adopted a law reinstating the Latin alphabet for the Moldovan language, replacing the Cyrillic alphabet that had been in official use.
At a session on March 16, 2023, with the votes of 58 deputies (57 from the PAS party and one independent—Haik Vartanyan), the concept of the “Romanian language” was also introduced into legislation. The law on the implementation of the provisions of a number of Constitutional Court decisions was adopted with the aim of applying the Constitutional Court’s interpretations regarding Article 13 of the Constitution and the status of the state language. According to this law, in all legislative acts of the Republic of Moldova, the phrase “Moldovan language” was replaced with “Romanian language,” and the terms “official language,” “official language,” and “native language” (when referring to the state language) were also replaced with “Romanian language.” In addition, the law provided for the replacement of the name of the holiday “Our Language” (Limba noastră) with “Romanian Language” (Limba română) in regulatory acts governing commemorative and holiday dates.
Foto: Moldpres
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