Moldovan lawmakers on Thursday voted in favor of a bill initiated by Moldova’s ruling pro-Western Party of Action and Solidarity that will replace references to the country’s official national language to Romanian. This will be included in the Constitution. The constitution currently refers to the national language as Moldovan.The opposition Communists and Socialists bloc, which hold 31 seats, and 6 lawmakers from the Russia-friendly Shor Party, mostly boycotted the vote. They raised banners in parliament to show their disapproval. Some opposants sustain this is an attack on the national Moldovan identity by pro-Western officials.An action will possibly be open at the country’s Constitutional Court.
The large majority of Moldova’s 2.6 million people speak Romanian as their first language. The others speak Russian. Moldova was part of Romania and was annexed by the Soviet Union after World War II. Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reacted by calling the adopted bill “an anti-Russian resolution.” Relations with Russia have deteriorated following Moscow’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.
