Mircea Snegur, who played a vital role in Moldova’s journey to independence and served as its first president, has passed away at the age of 83, as announced by the current president of Moldova on Thursday.
Mircea Snegur, who once belonged to the Communist Party but later became a pro-western liberal, declared Moldova’s independence from Moscow on August 27, 1991, during the time when the Soviet Union was breaking apart.
“I learned with deep sadness that Mircea Snegur, the first President of the Republic of Moldova, died that night,” President Maia Sandu wrote on Facebook
“Mr. Snegur lived in historic times and played an essential role in promoting the independence, freedom, and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova,” she added
President Sandu also mentioned that the day of Mr. Snegur’s funeral will be observed as a day of national mourning.
She noted that his powerful words on August 27, 1991, when he proclaimed “Long live independent Moldova!” will continue to inspire the nation.
Mircea Snegur, born on January 17, 1940, in the village of Trifanesti in northern Moldova, worked as an agronomist before becoming a member of the Communist Party of Moldavia.
During his presidency from 1990 to 1996, he led Moldova to independence.
However, the Russian-speaking region of Transnistria chose not to follow suit and declared its own independence.
This led to a short-lived civil war, and Russia stationed some troops there.
It’s important to note that Transnistria’s independence is not recognized internationally.
Mircea Snegur was succeeded as president, who holds executive power, by Petru Lusinschi, who had pro-Russian leanings and was elected in December 1996.
Mircea Snegur had two children.
His daughter, Natalia Gherman, previously served as deputy prime minister and foreign minister.
In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Moldova, a country with a population of 2.6 million, applied to join the European Union last year.
In June 2022, it became a candidate country, along with Ukraine.
Moldova, situated between Ukraine and the European Union member Romania, is one of Europe’s most economically challenged nations.
It has a history that includes centuries under the Ottoman Empire, followed by Russian rule, and later, becoming the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1940.
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