The PAS majority in Parliament approved in the first reading a set of amendments replacing the “Moldovan language” with the “Romanian language” in all laws. The phrases “official language”, “state language” and “mother tongue” will also be replaced with “Romanian” if the bill becomes law.
The Communist and Socialist bloc tried to disrupt the meeting in outrage, arguing that a two-thirds supermajority, rather than a simple majority, is needed to amend the Constitution. The PAS lawmakers argued instead that this is a mere formality to put in practice an earlier Constitutional Court ruling saying that Moldova’s official language is, in fact, Romanian, as per the 1991 Declaration of Independence.
The PAS lawmakers also propose that the phrase “functioning on the basis of Latin script” in Article 13 of the Constitution be considered obsolete. Also, within 30 days from the entry into force of the law, the relevant authorities shall issue secondary legislation pursuant to the amendment.
The draft amendment also states that the National Holiday “Our Language” on August 31, as it is officially know today, shall be called “Our Romanian Language”.
“This legislative initiative is not an ordinary initiative to amend the Constitution, but a technical one, which results from the obligation to execute and/or implement the acts of the Constitutional Court”, insisted MP Veronica Roșca, one of the bill’s sponsors.
The bill was approved in the first reading by 56 votes to angry shouts from the opposition. In a press briefing later in the day, the Com-Socs criticized the vote on the bill as violating fundamental lawmaking procedure.
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