German ambassador to Moldova sparks row by denying Romanian language unity

BERLIN – Germany's ambassador to Moldova, Hubert Knirsch, is facing accusations of questioning Moldova's identity and echoing Russian narratives following comments made during a television interview.

In an interview with Moldovan broadcaster Jurnal TV, Knirsch was asked about the possibility of Moldova uniting with Romania. While stressing that such a decision would have to be made by the citizens of both countries, he went on to say that he disagreed with the assertion that people in the two countries speak the same language and share the same religion.

Romanian is enshrined in Moldova's constitution as the country's official language, while Orthodox Christianity is the majority religion in both Moldova and Romania.

Backlash in Romania and Moldova

The remarks prompted a backlash in Romanian and Moldovan media, with Romania's former president Traian Băsescu calling Knirsch "an idiot".

"The German Embassy can take the message and pass it on to the ambassador in Chișinău," Băsescu said, adding that he hoped Moldova's foreign minister would call Knirsch and remind him that "Moldova was separated from Romania by the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact".

Under the secret protocol to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 23 August 1939, the region of Bessarabia was assigned to the Soviet sphere of influence. Around three quarters of modern Moldova lie in historic Bessarabia, while most of the Moscow-backed breakaway region of Transnistria does not.

Dragoș Galbur, chairman of the National Moldovan Party (PNM), which advocates reunification with Romania, said Moldova had two enemies of its Romanian identity.

"The first is Russia, which occupied us for generations, deported us, starved us, Russified us and terrorised us, and to this day maintains its pro-Russian parties, propaganda and influence networks," he said.

The second, Galbur argued, was German policy in Chișinău, which he said provided "a Western protective umbrella for Soviet Moldovanism".

"Berlin celebrates its own unity, yet demands that we continue to love the border drawn by Hitler and Stalin," he added.

Knirsch, for his part, said that his remarks had been mistranslated during the interview.

Responding to a request for comment from Euractiv, Germany's Foreign Office said the German ambassador in Chișinău had underlined that the question of reunification could only be decided by Romania and the Republic of Moldova as sovereign states. "This is also the position of the German government," a ministry spokesperson said.

The Romanian Embassy in Moldova stated that claims denying the "well-documented history, a common language, and a rich cultural and spiritual heritage" shared by Romania and the Republic of Moldova were "regrettable and lack a factual basis," adding that "any message that could create ambiguity regarding language, identity, or shared cultural heritage risks being exploited by hostile actors, such as the Russian Federation, who seek to undermine the Republic of Moldova's democratic resilience and European path."

Déjà-vu

It is not the first time Knirsch has faced accusations of promoting Russian narratives while serving as ambassador.

Knirsch, who headed the political section of the German embassy in Moscow until 2018, was subsequently appointed ambassador to Georgia.

During his tenure there, he repeatedly faced accusations of "one-sided statements and political interference in favour of the ruling Georgian Dream party and the oligarch behind the party, Bidzina Ivanishvili", according to German newspaper Bild.

In 2020, 44 NGOs sent a letter of complaint to the German ambassador, accusing Knirsch of undermining "the efforts of civil society organisations to expose state attacks on human rights and violations of democratic governance principles".