Appeal to European institutions
Five opposition parliamentary groups in Moldova have submitted a joint appeal to the Council of Europe, the Venice Commission and the OSCE, asking them to help restore dialogue between Chișinău and Comrat.
The signatories called on European institutions to engage in the situation surrounding the autonomous status of Gagauzia, which they say has come under pressure due to the actions of the ruling PAS party.
Concerns over dialogue and legal framework
The appeal, drafted by Socialist Party leader Igor Dodon, was signed by Alexandr Stoianoglo, Diana Caraman, and representatives of other opposition factions. The lawmakers’ main request is to facilitate the resumption of a full-fledged dialogue between Chișinău and Comrat, which, according to them, is currently largely blocked.
In the letter, the MPs express concern that institutional cooperation between the central authorities and the autonomous region has reached a critically low level. They refer to the law on the special status of Gagauzia, adopted on December 23, 1994, which they say has for more than 30 years helped resolve ethnopolitical tensions through constitutional and legal mechanisms.
However, the deputies argue that the central authorities are now interpreting this law in a more restrictive manner. Such an approach, they warn, could lead to increased tensions. They also state that any attempts to exert pressure on the autonomy or limit its powers would contradict Article 111 of Moldova’s Constitution and could destabilise the situation in the country.
Call for mediation and further dialogue
“We believe that any approach based on pressure or limiting the competencies of the autonomy contradicts both the spirit and the letter of the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova, in particular Article 111, as well as the provisions of the law on the special legal status of Gagauzia. Such tendencies risk deepening the institutional crisis and undermining internal stability,” the deputies wrote.
At the same time, the authors of the letter welcomed the recent resumption of the joint working group between the Moldovan parliament and the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia, but said these steps are insufficient without the involvement of international mediators.
They also proposed holding in-person meetings with representatives of the Council of Europe and the OSCE to exchange views and jointly develop mechanisms to restore dialogue between the authorities in Chișinău and those of the Gagauzia autonomous territorial unit.
