A look back at the Journées de la Francophonie 2026 in the Republic of Moldova

A month packed with cultural, educational and festive events is drawing to a close in the Republic of Moldova. As everywhere in Europe, and even more so in Central and Eastern Europe, where the French-speaking community is a historic choice of the elite, it is becoming essential, not to say vital, to promote and support local French-speaking dynamics in the face of the weakening of the French language's position.

It is against this backdrop that we offer you a necessarily partial summary of the calendar of activities designed and piloted by the National Office of theAgence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) in the Republic of Moldova, in collaboration with AUF member universities, French-speaking vocational colleges, local authorities, including the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.cial colleges, local authorities including the Ministry of Education and Research, the Embassies of France, the Kingdom of Belgium, Romania and Greece, and the French Cooperation Office in Moldova.ce, the Swiss Cooperation Office, as well as the Alliance Française and the Romanian Cultural Institute "Mihai Eminescu" in Chișinău.

Film screenings, round tables, conferences, training workshops, literary cafés, debates, poetry recitals, theater and song festivals, several competitions (Moldovan cultural heritage, eloquence, essays, literary translation, textual recitation, etc.): in Moldova's major cities, the Francophonie has taken over a multitude of venues and formats to reach out to all audiences.

Outside the walls, for all tastes

La Francophonie left its traditional spaces to make its presence felt in the public arena. On March 20, on the Eugen Doga pedestrian street in Chișinău, passers-by slowed their pace or even changed their plans for the space of a few hours, to join in with "La Francophonie en libre accès". Lively rhythms, flash mobs, songs and poetry recitals animated the streets, offering a fine demonstration of the vitality of the French language.

This Francophonie is on the move and can also be enjoyed: 70 high school students from Telenesti, Anenii-Noi, Criuleni and Straseni took part in "Saveurs de la Francophonie, saveurs partagées", an event organized on March 24 by the Filière francophone "Technologies alimentaires" of the Technical University of Moldova. At the crossroads of scientific rigor and the richness of the French-speaking world, the event illustrated how the French language and expertise in food science can be a lever for employability. Graduates of the French-language program, now recognized professionals in the food industry, were able to testify to this. Of course, they all got their hands dirty in interactive workshops and culinary demonstrations, exploring both product sensory analysis and French-language gastronomy.

The event was made possible by a close collaboration between the academic world, institutional partners and the private sector, which is perfectly in line with one of the AUF's missions: to promote quality training that is open to the world and rooted in professional realities.

Gala de la Francophonie

The high point of this month of events was the closing ceremony on March 31, which left a deep impression on the audience gathered in the prestigious Sala Unirii of the Academy of Music, Theatre and Plastic Arts (AMTAP). Students and teachers offered a concert of the highest quality, combining classical music, jazz and song.

In the presence of H.E. Madame Dominique Waag, Ambassador of France, H.E. Monsieur Evert Maréchal, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium, and numerous representatives of partner universities and institutions, the commitment and talent of the young French-speaking musicians were recognized. Thirty winners of the national "Moldavian heritage is close to my heart" competition were rewarded for the creativity and quality of their productions.ativity and quality of their productions in fields as varied as architecture, crafts, folklore and gastronomy. More than a hundred other winners from university and professional competitions were also recognized for their mastery of the French language, their artistic sensibility and their capacity for innovation.

A festive moment which, in a constantly changing world, illustrated the extent to which the Francophonie, beyond language, is a vector of values, solidarity and serenity. As the official speeches underlined, academic and institutional cooperation plays a key role in supporting the training and creativity of young people.

Echoes in the media

Several TV channels and digital platforms relayed these events:

• The morning show Bună Dimineața on Moldova 1 devoted a segment to "Saveurs de la Francophonie, saveurs partagées ": https://www.facebook.com/reel/936482802562186
• The Closing Gala was the subject of two reports produced by Live Studio: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18VW2GZ4tF and Canal 1 offered a report dedicated to the Gala de la Francophonie: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1500821724944395

For this month's complete album, visit the Facebook page of our National Office in the Republic of Moldova: https://www.facebook.com/AUF.Moldavie

Full program: Journées de la Francophonie 2026 in the Republic of Moldova

Source: www.auf.org/