Moldovan Parliament votes to recognize Moldovan language as Romanian

The Moldovan Parliament adopted a law recognizing the Moldovan language as Romanian. The change is the result of a legislative initiative by the ruling pro-Western Action and Solidarity Party (PAS).

The deputies engaged in an emotional debate on the recognition of the Moldovan language as identical to the Romanian language. 32 MPs from the opposition and pro-Russian Bloc of Socialists and Communists (BCS) tried to disrupt the debate and the voting process by leaving the Parliament chamber. Despite earlier declarations to boycott the vote, the deputies returned before 56 PAS deputies passed the bill.

During the debate, the ruling party MPs explained that recognition of the Moldovan language as identical to the Romanian language is necessary due to the ruling of the Constitutional Court of Moldova in 2013. It ruled the Moldovan language as “the Romanian language spoken on the territory of Moldova”.

According to the law approved on Thursday public authorities “competent to adopt, approve or issue legal acts” are obliged to make the necessary changes replacing the phrase “Moldovan language” with the term “Romanian language” in all the regulations.

The prevailing number of linguists claim that the Moldovan language does not differ significantly from the official Romanian language.