DRAFT LAW ON INCLUSION OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION INTO MOLDOVA’S CONSTITUTION PUT UP FOR PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS

The draft law on the inclusion of European integration into Moldova's Constitution has been put up for public discussion. As reported by “INFOTAG,” on Monday, the document elaborated by the ruling party “Action and Solidarity” (PAS) was published on the parliament's website, and initial discussions were held involving suits and constitutional law experts.

According to the published draft law, the preamble of the Constitution is proposed to be supplemented with the words “affirming the European identity of the Moldovan people, proclaiming integration into the European Union as Moldova's strategic goal.”

The draft law also proposes to supplement the Constitution with a new section – “European Integration,” which will include an article “on accession to the founding treaties and acts amending the founding treaties of the European Union.” According to this article, “the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the founding treaties of the European Union, as well as accession to acts amending the EU founding treaties, shall be established by parliament by organic law.”

This article suggests that “after accession to the founding treaties of the EU, as well as other mandatory Community acts, these provisions shall take precedence over conflicting provisions of domestic laws while complying with the provisions of the accession act.”

The draft law on amendments to the Constitution provides that the amendments shall enter into force after the Constitutional Court's decision recognizing the results of the republican constitutional referendum is published in the “Official Monitor.”

As previously reported by “INFOTAG,” President Maia Sandu proposed to the parliament on December 24, 2023, to organize a referendum on Moldova's integration into the European Union. She suggested discussing the idea of holding a republican referendum in October-November 2024, simultaneously with the presidential elections. Following this, the parliament passed amendments to the Election Code, allowing for the republican referendum to be held concurrently with parliamentary, presidential, or general elections.

The oppositional Bloc of Communists and Socialists in parliament criticized the initiative, arguing that by this decision, Sandu seeks to “improve her results in the presidential elections.”

In June 2022, the European Union Council decided to grant Moldova and Ukraine candidate status for EU membership, and on December 14, 2023, it decided to start the process of negotiations on future membership in the European Union with these two countries. President Maia Sandu stated that the country will seek EU membership no later than 2030.