As for the tradition of presidents to address society, it does not have a well-established origin. Most likely, its origin is in the Anglo-Saxon world, where the king or prime minister of the United Kingdom would, in some cases, issue addresses to the nation. The most well-known use of this method of communication, however, is in the United States of America, where presidents use it whenever they have the opportunity.
Presidential historian Robert Dallek states, for example, that American presidents’ addresses usually take place in the Oval Office. “The Oval Office invokes the center of presidential authority. This is the president’s office, it’s where he’s supposed to make decisions, where he rules.” The tone of the speech is set when presidents decide to give a speech in the Oval Office.
Addresses in the history of the Republic of Moldova – Mircea Snegur and Petru Lucinschi
In the history of the Republic of Moldova, not all presidents have distinguished themselves by addressing society, most of them preferring to list certain messages on the occasion of national holidays or major events, or in simple sessions of the Parliament.
However, a first address by a president of the Republic of Moldova, in the given case of Mircea Snegur, existed even before independence. This was on August 18 – 19, 1991, when the attempted coup d’état took place in Moscow, and in Chisinau the works of the Parliament sessions for the declaration of state independence of the Republic of Moldova began.
Address of the President of the Republic of Moldova, Mircea Snegur to the people
News from Chisinau, August 1991
Compatriots! On the night of August 18 to 19, 1991, through a coup, the President of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, was removed from his post. The unconstitutional, self-titled “state committee for the state of emergency in the USSR” is trying to impose a putsch-type dictate on the sovereign republics. All the statements and decisions of this alleged committee mean nothing but a violation of the peoples’ right to self-determination, a blocking of their aspirations for independence and state sovereignty. (…) In these moments of hard trial, a consolidation of all constructive forces is necessary to give a decisive response to the putschists and defend the holy ideals of the people.
Author: Mircea Snegur, President of the Republic of Moldova (1990 – 1997)
According to the “Moldova Suverană” newspaper, at the rally on August 20, Mircea Snegur thanked “the teams of enthusiastic volunteers who, the night before, stood vigil at the strategic objectives of the capital, guarded the entrances to the city and did not allow military equipment to enter under the veil of night in Chisinau”.
Later, another message was issued on August 27, 1991, on the occasion of the Parliament’s decision to declare the independence of the Republic of Moldova. Another address was made in March 1992, shortly after the start of hostilities in Transnistria and the establishment of the state of emergency in the country.
Statement of the President of the Republic of Moldova, March 8
Council of the Country, March 11, 1992
Appeal of the President of the Republic of Moldova,
Sovereign Moldova, March 7, 1992
President Petru Lucinschi (1997 – 2001) also had an address to the people, on March 23, 1999, when he announced the referendum on the transition from the semi-presidential republic to the presidential republic, an initiative that brought the political end. BASA Press wrote that Lucinschi motivated his decision by “the intention to bring clarity to the country, to have a force in the person of the executive, who would have the right to promote reforms”. The head of state stated that the need to expand the presidential prerogatives was also seen in the case of the delay in the process of forming the Sturza Government.
Moreover, Lucinschi assured that the presidential republic would exist as long as it would be necessary to solve the social-economic problems. “It is the right of the people to decide,” said the former head of state.
Finally, the consultative referendum was held on 23 May 1999, together with the local elections, and had a positive result for the presidential camp, as 64.2% of voters answered “Yes” to the question “Would you be in favor of changing of the Constitution with the aim of installing a presidential system in the Republic of Moldova, in which the President of the Republic will be responsible for the formation and management of the government, as well as for the results of the governance of the country?”. However, the referendum was invalidated by the Constitutional Court due to the fact that less than 60% of voters registered on the electoral rolls went to the polls.
In the end, however, the Parliament won this dispute, which on July 5, 2000, with the votes of the Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova and the Alliance for Democracy and Reforms, further reduced the presidential prerogatives and introduced the formula for electing the head of state by Parliament.
Vladimir Voronin
Although he had several public addresses on various topics during his eight years in office, President Vladimir Voronin stood out with two messages to the people, both of which appeared a short distance apart, in the summer and fall of 2009.
Thus, on June 15, 2009, President Vladimir Voronin announced that he had dissolved the Parliament formed after the April 5 elections and which had failed to elect the new head of state in two attempts, the government lacking a single vote.
Subsequently, the last address of President Vladimir Voronin was on September 11, 2009, when, a few weeks after the Alliance for European Integration (AIE) came to power, he announced his resignation from office.
Maia Sandu
President Maia Sandu also had several addresses to society. The first appearance of the head of state on national television took place on December 4, 2020, when she was still the elected president of the country. Then, Maia Sandu criticized the laws adopted by the PSRM-Şor majority, which provided for the passage of the SIS under parliamentary control or the annulment of the “billion law” and called the citizens to a major protest organized on December 6, 2020, in the center of the capital.
Later, another address by the president took place on March 4, 2021, in the context of a new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then the head of state called for compliance with respiratory infection prevention measures and vaccination.
Every hour, a Moldovan dies from Covid-19. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have lost more than 4 thousand loved ones. The medical staff is overworked. Hospitals are full and the number of serious cases is increasing. Every day, in Moldova we have almost 2,000 cases of infection.
Author: Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova
Later, on March 18, 2022, a few weeks after the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine, President Maia Sandu addressed the citizens. In that message, the head of state referred to economic difficulties and the security crisis, promising support from the state.
The war in Ukraine has triggered a new crisis that will have lasting consequences for our country. We all feel the price increases in consumer products and fuels. Imports and exports to the east have stopped, and this affects both consumers and economic agents in Moldova.
Author: Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova
Internationally memorable speeches
As for the addresses of foreign leaders, the most famous remain those of the US presidents. By far the most popular is President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 “Gettysburg Address,” made famous by the following introduction:
Eighty-seven years ago, our fathers brought to this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, devoted to the idea that all men are created equal.
Author: Abraham Lincoln, US President (1861 – 1865)
Another oft-quoted speech is that of President George W. Bush Jr., delivered shortly after the tragic events of September 11, 2001.
These acts of mass murder were designed to frighten our nation, throw it into chaos, and make it retreat. But they failed. Our country is strong. A great people was determined to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our greatest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America.
Author: George Bush Jr., President of the USA (2000 – 2008)
At the same time, recent history also includes the address to the nation by US President Barack Obama, who on May 2, 2011, announced that the most wanted terrorist on the planet, Osama Bin Laden, had been killed by US special forces.
On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We gave our neighbors a helping hand and gave our blood to the wounded. We reaffirmed our bonds between us and our love for community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.
Author: Barack Obama, President of the USA (2009 – 2017)
