March 7 () –
More than a hundred people took to the streets this Monday in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, to protest against a bill approved by the country’s Parliament that seeks to change the official name of the Moldovan language to “Romanian”. .
Protesters, who are themselves supporters of the Bloc of Communists and Socialists (BCS), have gathered in front of the Constitutional Court to reject “the Romanian language” replacing the “Moldovan language” in all Moldovan legislation, including the Constitution , as reported by Agerpres.
“They are attacking something that is sacred to all Moldovans in this country. They are trying to shove something different from what is in the Constitution down our throats,” socialist Vasile Bolea expressed his discontent, assuring that it is an aggression against “the language of mothers and grandparents”.
For his part, the communist leader Vladimir Voronin, has described as “manipulations with the language” the bill –still in process– presented by the liberal party Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), while he has assured that it is a unnecessary measure.
In response to the protests, the chairperson of the Legal Commission for Appointments and Immunities, Olesea Stamate, recalled that the Supreme Court presented its position in 2013 regarding the language spoken in the Republic of Moldova. Then, through a ruling, the Constitutional Court decided that the official language is Romanian and not Moldovan.
Likewise, the PAS spokeswoman, Adriana Vlas, has maintained that the Socialists have found “one more tool to divide and destabilize” the situation in the country. “The Romanian language is one of the most beloved by our society, and the parliamentary majority will also vote strongly in favor of this project in the second reading,” she asserted.
The bill, which was voted on in first reading on March 2, also seeks to replace the phrases “official language” with “state language” and “mother tongue.” The name of the language will be changed in all legislative acts, including the Constitution.
