Reform and relapse in bilingual policy in Moldova

In the Republic of Moldova, language education policy has shifted since independence from an uneven Soviet policy, in which minority Russian dominated, towards somewhat more equitable European norms. Although many reforms in language education have been beneficial in producing a more balanced bilingualism, official policy has at times tended towards a relapse into Soviet-style policies. This paper examines key political and institutional facts related to this dialectic between reform and relapse in language education policy. It concludes that, while early reforms have been largely successful, they have been weakened by challenges from the central government and reversals in the breakaway region of Transnistria. Ultimately, the success of policies that support bilingualism in Moldova depends critically on improvements in political stability, a unified national identity, and the economy.