Where Europe disappears into the sea: a trip to the old Bessarabia and the new border area of the EU Cover Image

Where Europe disappears into the sea: a trip to the old Bessarabia and the new border area of the EU
Where Europe disappears into the sea: a trip to the old Bessarabia and the new border area of the EU

Author(s): Achim Engelberg
Subject(s): Cultural Essay, Political Essay, Societal Essay
Published by: Nomos Verlag
Keywords: Ukraine; Bessarabia; Moldova; Transnistria; Romania; border policy; economic development; EU accession; petty smuggling; security policy; Black Sea; superpowers; geo-strategic interests.

Summary/Abstract: This article constitutes a travelogue from a journey undertaken to the region which features in ‘Borderland III’. Starting in Odessa (Ukraine), the author takes in Chişinau and Transnistria (Moldova) and Galaţi and Sulina (Romania), describing his experiences and observations based on the themes of ‘Borderland III’. The article considers the economic redevelopment of Odessa and whether this will have a lasting effect on the rest of Ukraine; the EU aspirations of Moldova; the status of Transnistria and the contrasts between border policy between Transnistria and the rest of Moldova (where no border appears on a map), and between Romania and Moldova where crossing the border has, following independence and until Romania’s accession to the EU, been a fairly relaxed process; and the lessons for the present of the Europe of diversity of the past. The author concludes that the future is uncertain but, given that the eastern end of Europe ends at the easternmost tip of Romania, an EU encompassing Ukraine must surely step beyond the usual definitions of Europe.

  • Issue Year: 2008
  • Issue No: 03
  • Page Range: 295-306
  • Page Count: 12
  • Language: English