The Bloc of Communists and Socialists (BCS) held a protest in front of the Constitutional Court (CC) on Monday, March 6, to “defend the Constitution and the Moldovan language”. The opposition’s dissatisfaction comes after the ruling party voted on 2 March in first reading on a draft law to replace “Moldovan language” with “Romanian language” in all Moldovan laws.

In response, the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) says that the communists and socialists are “doing the bidding of the Russian Federation”, and says that PAS MPs will “resolutely vote in the second reading” on the Romanian language.

Socialist deputy Vasile Bolea told demonstrators that if PAS approves the draft in the second reading, a new protest will be organised in front of the CC in defence of the “Moldovan language”.

“Last week, the PAS made a despicable attack on what is written in the Constitution. (…) If they adopt in the second reading what they did last week, we will be here at the Constitutional Court to defend the Moldovan language,” said Socialist MP Vasile Bolea.

Socialist MP Vlad Bătrîncea says that “the Constitutional Court cannot remain silent when the text of the Constitution is changed at the politicians’ convenience”, while the leader of the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM), Vladimir Voronin believes that the change of the name of the language in the Constitution should be decided at a national referendum: “They should organise a national referendum. Every citizen of Moldova must cast his or her vote”.

In a reply to Ziarul de Gardă, PAS spokeswoman Adriana Vlas said that the communists and socialists “are playing into the hands of the Russian Federation” and that the draft voted on “finally does justice to the Romanian language” and will be voted on “also in the second reading”.

“The socialists and communists have found yet another tool to divide us and destabilise the situation in the country – the language we speak. In these complicated times, instead of uniting society, they are playing into the hands of the Russian Federation. The draft on the Romanian language is a long-awaited one for our society, which we will vote for resolutely at second reading. It is a project that finally does justice to the Romanian language and to the citizens of this country”, PAS spokeswoman Adriana Vlas told Ziarul de Gardă.

A small counter-protest was organised in front of the CC, in support of the changes proposed by the ruling party.

On 2 March, the Parliament adopted, in the first reading, the draft law which stipulates that in all Moldovan laws, the phrase “Moldovan language” will be replaced by “Romanian language”. The terms “official language”, “state language” and “mother tongue” will also be replaced. The initiative was adopted by 54 PAS MEPs. Communists and Socialists protested and tried to block the central rostrum of Parliament.

We remind you that in August 2013, the Constitutional Court adopted a decision by which the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Moldova is a common body with the Constitution, being the primary and immutable constitutional text of the constitutionality block. The Court also ruled that, in the event of discrepancies between the text of the Declaration of Independence and the text of the Constitution, the primary constitutional text of the Declaration of Independence prevails. The judgment is final, is not subject to appeal, enters into force on the date of its adoption and is published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Moldova. It should be recalled that in the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Moldova, the state language is designated as Romanian.