Regele Mihai între „est” și „vest”. Percepții, poziționări, simboluri (King Michael between east and west. Perceptions, positionings, symbols)

Abstract

The article investigates three strategic directions within the political perceptions of Romanian King Michael involving the East/West paradigm. The article will try to highlight the main positioning, both in Exile and the complicated recent history, immediately after the December 1989 events. King Michael’s relations with Western powers and attitude throughout Romania after 1989, the fate of Bessarabia as a direct „confrontation” between East -West and the significances of the „August 23” Act in reshaping the post-revolutionary memorial debate, represent three fundamental perspectives in understanding the „East” and „West” thinking of the Romanian monarch. These three themes, rich in meanings, have three major connotations: moral, geographic and memorials. Each of them are explained and decrypted with many examples, quotes, and historical and geographical references.

Keywords

• King Michael
• East and West
• Yalta
• Bessarabia
• Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact
• August 23
• 1944
• Marshall Ion Antonescu