Eight border crossing points were set up, and that day went down in history as the Flower Bridge day, because people symbolically threw flowers into the River Prut which separates the two countries. Those were very emotional moments. People who had never met before were crying for the sheer joy of being able to speak the same language. In the 23 years that have since passed, though, people’s enthusiasm has faded, making room for more pragmatism.

Today, the two countries bound by a common history, are trying to find each other again, under the umbrella of the European Union. In fact, Bucharest authorities have repeatedly voiced their support for the Republic of Moldova’s European integration. Recently, Romanian President Traian Basescu has had a phone conversation with his Moldovan counterpart, Nicolae Timofti, about the political situation in the Republic of Moldova and means of getting over the crisis.

The Romanian president has said that the decisions made by the Moldovan authorities should not affect the country’s European integration process. On March 5th, Parliament dismissed the Government, under a no-confidence motion filed by the communists, and the Parliament President was revoked on April 25th. The former ruling coalition – the Alliance for European Integration – was dismantled.

President Nicolae Timofti has limited powers, and the only thing that the Constitution allows him to do is hold consultations with parliamentary groups with a view to designating a candidate for the office of prime-minister, who should form the new government. Should Timofti fail to gain Parliament’s support, he must dissolve it and call for early elections.