“Imitating Ukraine”: why Maia Sandu wants to enshrine in the Constitution the results of the referendum on Moldova’s accession to the EU

The results of the referendum on Moldova's accession to the European Union should be included in the Constitution.

This was stated by the President of the Republic, Maia Sandu.

“Once this desire for European integration is enshrined in the country’s Constitution as a goal, the entire political class will be obliged to respect the decision of citizens, we will be able to achieve consistency in the implementation of this plan for the development of the country and will gain confidence in achieving this goal,” Sandu said at press conference in Chisinau.

She also said that the plebiscite will be held in October 2024. 

"Minority by Minority"

In February, President Maia Sandu already spoke about the need to constitutionally consolidate the results of the referendum on Moldova’s accession to the European Union.

According to her, this will help the country's citizens “gain confidence.”

“The decision taken in this referendum will determine the fate of the country for many years to come,” she said.

It is worth noting that this plebiscite will be held simultaneously with the presidential elections, in which Sandu is again standing as a candidate.

The parliamentary opposition represented by the Party of Communists and the Party of Socialists, as well as a number of other political forces, criticized the idea of ​​this format for holding a referendum and refused to participate in consultations convened by Sandu on this issue.

• Protests in Chisinau against Sandu and government policies

• AP

• © Aurel Obreja

Thus, the leader of the largest opposition socialist party and ex-president of Moldova, Igor Dodon, called on citizens to boycott the vote.

He said that the referendum is an attempt to “once again mislead fellow citizens so that they forget about the problems created by Maia Sandu.”

As Dodon noted, she “has nothing to go to the presidential elections with.”

According to him, the idea of ​​combining elections and referendums was invented by Western political strategists.

“We urge Maia Sandu not to participate in this political event, because otherwise a turnout will be ensured, in which Sandu will draw any result she wants,” Dodon wrote in his Telegram channel.

Dodon later stated that he was aware that Brussels had a negative attitude towards the idea of ​​combining elections and a plebiscite.

In turn, the former head of the Central Election Commission of Moldova, Yuri Ciocan, said that Sandu’s plan is aimed at dishonestly changing the Constitution of the republic.

He explained that according to the laws of the country, turnout for a referendum can be only a third of the total number of voters.

“This means that if only 33% of voters come to the referendum on amending the Constitution, this will already ensure its recognition.

And if half of these 33% support the issue put on the ballot by parliament, then the basic law can be changed with the votes of only 17% of the total number of voters, that is, a minority of a minority.

This is dishonest and frivolous,” said the former head of the Central Election Commission of Moldova.

Ciocan added that the ruling Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), which supports Sandu, changed the legislation that prohibited holding a referendum on election day, but left the turnout the same.

Let us remind you that Maia Sandu signed an application for Moldova’s accession to the European Union in March 2022.

Soon after this, Moldova, together with Ukraine, received candidate status for EU membership.

In December 2023, Brussels, following the EU Council summit, decided to begin negotiations with Moldova and Ukraine on joining the union.

At the same time, the problem of the status of Transnistria remains unresolved.

Sandu admitted in 2023 that Moldova could join the European Union along with the region that Chisinau does not control.

The EU did not rule out that Moldova could be admitted to the community without it.

Against the backdrop of Maia Sandu’s European integration policy in Moldova, anti-government protests have continued since 2022, with participants demanding the resignation of the president and the government formed by the ruling party.

They are blamed for the catastrophic decline in living standards in the country.

In response, Sandu, under the pretext of the danger of a coup d'etat (which Russia allegedly stands behind), launched a fight against the opposition: dozens of activists from different parties were arrested in Moldova, the broadcasting of opposition television channels was suspended, and dozens of information portals were blocked.

Contested legitimacy

Sandu’s intention to enshrine the results of the referendum on joining the European Union in the country’s Constitution is obviously aimed at depriving opponents of European integration in Moldova of the opportunity to challenge this political course, analysts interviewed by RT note.

“Maia Sandu is trying by any means to consolidate the course towards European integration of Moldova.

A course that began to manifest itself most clearly and clearly during her reign,” Sergei Margulis, senior lecturer at the Department of International Politics and Foreign Regional Studies at the Institute of Social Sciences of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, emphasized in a commentary to RT.

• Maia Sandu with the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen

• AP

• © Vadim Ghirda

However, this referendum will not take into account the will of the people of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, the expert recalled.

“In addition, problems may arise with holding this referendum in Gagauzia, which already calls into question its results and legitimacy.

This plebiscite will actually be held under pressure and restrictions on the rights of the opposition, which also raises questions.

And by including the results of the referendum in the Constitution, Sandu wants to consolidate the course towards European integration even if she fails to become head of state,” the political scientist added.

In turn, Vladimir Olenchenko, a researcher at the Center for European Studies at IMEMO RAS, in a conversation with RT, noted that Chisinau is following the path of Kyiv.

“This is an imitation of Ukraine.

There, European integration was also enshrined in the Constitution.

That is, a certain pattern is visible that was created outside of Ukraine and Moldova.

European law does not, in principle, require the inclusion of such provisions in the Constitution or the holding of referendums.

It is being carried out to deprive the residents of Moldova of a future in which ties with Russia are possible,” the political scientist explained.

In addition, the combination of the referendum with the presidential elections indicates that Sandu wants to influence his chances of becoming head of state again, says Vladimir Olenchenko.

“Her popularity is not very high, and by combining a referendum and elections, she wants to mobilize a pro-European electorate.

The opposition of Moldova must raise the question of the legitimacy of the referendum and how its results will be enshrined in the Constitution before the change of the head of state who determines foreign policy

republics.

The contradictions are obvious.

This is a violation of democratic norms,” stated RT’s interlocutor.

The Moldavian authorities are obviously subordinate in this matter to their supervisors in the West, who previously forced their protégés to enshrine the Euro-Atlantic course in the Constitution and in Ukraine, added Vladimir Olenchenko.

“The only difference is that Ukraine has raised a whole tribe of nationalists, while Moldova, under the leadership of previous administrations, managed to take a balanced position on issues of relations with Europe and Russia.

This is what worries the Western controllers who stand behind Maia Sandu,” the expert concluded.