RT.com
08 May 2026, 21:57 GMT+10
The opposition has harshly criticized new language rules passed by Moldovan President Maia Sandus pro-EU PAS party
Moldovan President Maia Sandu's pro-EU PAS party has pushed through new procedural rules that severely restrict the use of the Russian language in parliament.
The ex-Soviet republic of around 2.5 million people sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine has charted an increasingly anti-Russian course since Sandu came to power in 2020.
Under the new regulations adopted on Thursday, Romanian is declared to be the sole working language in the legislature. Bills will no longer be translated into Russian, which was previously designated as a language of inter-ethnic communication. The new rules also introduce time limits on lawmakers' addresses during plenary debates, as well as changes to voting procedures.
The opposition lambasted the new Code of Parliament, with Communist Party MP Constantin Staris warning that it would undermine the legislature's legitimacy.
Alexandru Versinin of the right-wing Democracy at Home party accused the ruling PAS of "shutting our mouths," citing the newly-placed restrictions on debates. The parliament's chair, Igor Grosu, responded by switching off the lawmaker's microphone.
Opposition MPs then staged a walk-out in protest.
In October 2025, the Moldovan government adopted a new security strategy, identifying Russia as the main threat.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded by warning that the Moldovan leadership was "making a grave mistake" by increasingly antagonizing Russia.
Last September, the pro-EU PAS party narrowly secured a majority in parliamentary elections, which saw claims of irregularities and manipulation.
Critics bemoaned uneven access to voting: only two polling stations were opened in Russia, despite the country hosting one of the largest Moldovan diaspora communities in the world of up to 500,000 people. By contrast, dozens of polling stations were opened in Italy alone - where the Moldovan diaspora tends to be more pro-EU.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov characterized the vote as a "fraud."
Ex-Moldovan President Igor Dodon, the leader of the Party of Socialists, similarly alleged that the "ruling Party of Action and Solidarity has claimed victory in the election exclusively by manipulation with support from the EU and NATO."
He further claimed that the West was aiming to turn the country into an "anti-Russian project" like Ukraine.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of St Petersburg Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to St Petersburg Star.
More InformationLONDON, U.K.: OPEC+ is moving ahead with plans to raise oil production targets for June, even as the ongoing U.S.-Iran conflict continues...
The opposition has harshly criticized new language rules passed by Moldovan President Maia Sandus pro-EU PAS party Moldovan President...
The opposition has harshly criticized new language rules passed by Moldovan President Maia Sandu's pro-EU PAS party ...
The vessel has reportedly been found in a cave on an island in the Ionian Sea The Greek authorities are investigating a suspected...
(260508) -- VLADIVOSTOK, May 8, 2026 (Xinhua) -- The Victory Train arrives at a train station in Vladivostok, Russia, May 8, 2026....
The activities of armed groups and the broader dynamics of the conflict are hindering the resolution of Abyeis status, Anna Evstigneevahastold...
MELBOURNE, Australia: Two Qatar Airways planes landed at two different airports carrying Australian women and children with alleged...
TAIPEI, Taiwan: In a project that strengthens deterrence against the Chinese navy and protects vital sea lanes in the event of war,...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: U.S. drivers are paying sharply higher prices at the pump, with gasoline costs rising about 50 percent since...
ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON/TEL AVIV: Iran said on May 6 that it is looking at a new proposal from the United States. Reports say both...
ROME, Italy: Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni this week denounced the circulation of a deepfake photo of her posing in bed in...
CHICAGO, Illinois: A man using the name of the famed Astor family, among other aliases, duped a Mexican billionaire out of around US$450...
