On Friday, the members of the Parliament of Moldova from the Party of the Socialists, the Shor Party and For Moldova group voted no confidence in three Constitutional Court judges, declared the appointment of Constitutional Court judge Domnica Manole two years ago invalid and did not recognise the Constitutional Court’s decision of 15 April 2021 regarding the conditions for dissolution of Parliament.
Under the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova, the Constitutional Court is independent of any other public authority and shall abide only by the Constitution. Parliament and the executive power must, therefore, respect the role of the Constitutional Court as the “gatekeeper of the Constitution”, even when they are dissatisfied with its decisions.
Friday’s votes and declarations, therefore, constitute a blatant attack on the constitutional order of the Republic of Moldova and are an attempt to undermine the rule of law.
The EU recalls that all political actors in the Republic of Moldova need to respect the decisions of the Constitutional Court. The independence of the Constitutional Court is vital to ensure the rule of law and democratic mechanisms – both being fundamental principles to which the Republic of Moldova committed in the EU–Moldova Association Agreement.