Chisinau (AFP) – A new power line to link Moldova to Romania with US financial backing will be named “Trump Liberty Line” following a US proposal, Chisinau said on Wednesday. US President Donald Trump and supporters have pushed to plaster his name and image on everything from landmarks to banknotes at home but also abroad.
The new 400kV power line linking Moldova to neighbouring EU member Romania and getting 130 million dollars in US financing will bear the name “Trump Liberty Line,” government spokesperson Dumitru Ciorici told AFP. “It was the proposal of the US Embassy, and the government has no objections to it,” Ciorici said. “The government supports initiatives that benefit citizens, particularly those that safeguard the country’s security and energy infrastructure.”
On Tuesday, the US Embassy wrote on Facebook about the launch of a working group for the “Trump Liberty Line”, describing it as “an important step forward for Moldova’s energy future”. The US government approved $130 million in funding for the Straseni-Gutinas power line in 2025, with no name being advanced at that time. The new power line, deemed as “very important” by Prime Minister Vasile Tofan, will be approximately 70 kilometres long within Moldova and is expected to be completed in 2032.
In neighbouring Romania, a park in the capital Bucharest where extension work is being carried out is also to be renamed after Trump. Authorities said it was the most voted name in an online poll done in May, but some online media users accused authorities of rigging the vote. Moldovan president Maia Sandu was leading the poll one or two days before voting was closed.
Trump has been breaking the long-held US tradition against celebrating living figures — and particularly serving presidents — on currency and buildings.
© 2024 AFP
