ROMÂNIA ȘI BALCANII ÎN DEZBATERILE PARLAMENTULUI DE LA BUCUREȘTI (1900-1903)
ROMANIA AND THE BALKANS IN THE DEBATES OF THE BUCHAREST PARLIAMENT (1900-1903)

Author(s): Sebastian-Dragos Bunghez
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, History, Recent History (1900 till today)
Published by: Editura Universităţii Vasile Goldiş
Keywords: Romania; Parliament; debates; Balkan Peninsula; Aromanians
Summary/Abstract: At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Romania navigated a delicate geopolitical situation. Positioned between powerful neighbors (Russia and Austria-Hungary) and smaller Balkan states (Bulgaria and Serbia), its foreign policy focused on safeguarding its sovereignty. Romania aligned with Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Italy, through a defensive alliance, aiming to counter Russia's expansionist ambitions. In the Balkans, it sought to maintain the status quo, fearing Bulgaria's territorial aspirations, which could threaten Romanian lands like Dobruja. Romania was also deeply concerned about the Aromanians, an ethnic group speaking a Romanian dialect, living under Ottoman rule in the Balkans. These people faced pressures from other Balkan nations, risking denationalization or worse. This concern fueled parliamentary debates in Romania, especially between 1900 and 1903. Key issues included addressing Bulgarian nationalist aggression, fostering trade relations with Greece (despite tensions over the Hellenization of Aromanians), and supporting Aromanian schools and churches. The massacres during the Ilinden uprising and potential administrative reforms in the Ottoman Empire also raised alarms about Aromanian identity preservation. Overall, Romania was passionately engaged in Balkan affairs, balancing its national interests while advocating for vulnerable ethnic kin.

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