On May 6, the magistrates from the Constitutional Court notified the Venice Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, and the embassies accredited in Moldova about the recent attacks on the Constitutional Court by some political actors. 

In a statement offered to the ZdG, the member of the European Parliament, Siegfried Mureșan notes that the European Union (EU) is watching how Moldova’s Constitutional Court is undergoing enormous pressure to deliver the desired verdict on May 7, in favor of a Russian loan. He urges the EU to support the independence of the Constitutional Court, which is in danger.

“The EU is watching how the Constitutional Court’s judges are being harassed, blackmailed, or defamed. Nobody, neither a President nor a Prime Minister or a ruling party should be able to oblige the court to follow political orders instead of the supreme law.

The EU is watching how the backbone of an independent judiciary – the Prosecution, the anti-corruption center – remain idle or even give a hand of support to the current authorities to turn the independence of the Constitutional Court into a parody and the institution into a valuable object sold on at an auction to the highest bidder.

The attack on the Constitutional Court is deplorable and unacceptable. The desperation of President Igor Dodon and the Socialist Party to subjugate the Moldovans with a precarious Russian loan only to win the next elections has reached all limits. The efforts to politicize the Moldovan Constitutional Court will have very negative consequences on the EU-Moldova relation.

This week we have seen how the European Court of Human Rights has condemned the Romanian Constitutional Court in the case related to the dismissal of the Anti-Graft Chief Kovesi. This serves as proof that when a court follows political orders it loses all credibility. Likewise, every politician who puts such pressures on the court ends up isolated and rejected by all international partners.

The European Parliament will not remain an observer to such constitutional breaches and will ensure that current and future assistance to Moldova is re-evaluated.”

The Constitutional Court suspended the law on the Russian loan agreement. And later on, dismissed Vladimir Țurcan from the position of President of the Constitutional Court. 

In his place, for a term of three years, the judges elected Judge Domnica Manole. 

Later on, several judges claimed that they are blackmailed and intimidated. Subsequently, they intend to take action and notify the General Prosecutor’s Office and the International Institutions. 

At this moment, the CC magistrates are examining the notifications regarding the control of the constitutionality of some provisions of the Agreement between the Government of Moldova and the Government of Russia regarding the granting of a state financial loan, ratified by Law no. 57 of April 23, 2020.