During the visit, the experts from the Venice Commission will have meetings with the authors of the project, members of parliamentary committees, representatives of the majority and opposition, as well as with representatives of public institutions, civil society and international partners.

According to the authors, deputies of the Action and Solidarity Party, the project of the Code aims to establish clearer rules regarding the organization and functioning of the Parliament. The document provides regulations concerning the legislative’s responsibilities, the activity of the Permanent Bureau, the parliamentary committees and the conduct of plenary sessions.

The project envisages the introduction of the “Government Hour”, which is expected to take place at least once a month, and the “Opposition Day”, when the agenda would include topics proposed by opposition deputies. The document also establishes rules regarding the conduct of debates, the duration of speeches in plenary and specifies that the working language in Parliament is Romanian.

However, the parliamentary opposition maintains that the project, in its current form, contains provisions that would affect the rights of opposition deputies. The factions have sent a statement to the Venice Commission and the Council of Europe, asserting that the document does not fully comply with constitutional and European standards.

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During a press conference at IPN, the party leader stated that the Republic of Moldova risks straying from democratic standards and even being downgraded in international democracy rankings. She cited the Venice Commission’s opinion from March, which, according to her, states that a party cannot be excluded from elections nor can its activities be restricted solely on the basis of suspicions.

“Excluding a party from elections without proven violations does not mean democracy. Restricting the activities of a party based on fabricated false accusations does not mean rule of law. Ignoring the position of the Venice Commission does not mean European path”, mentioned Irina Vlah.

The leader of the “Inima Moldovei” Party maintains that the Constitutional Court’s decision affects the entire political class and could endanger the principles of free and fair elections, as well as the respect for the presumption of innocence, the right to defense and political pluralism.

Contacted by IPN for a reaction, representatives of the Constitutional Court stated that the institution will return later with a comment.

Note: The IPN Agency grants the right of reply to individuals who consider themselves to be the subject of news reports based on statements made by the organizers of this press conference, including by facilitating the organization of another press conference under similar conditions.

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“In recent years, our country has been the target of coordinated attacks to corrupt the electoral process by the Kremlin. It is crucial to have legislation that provides authorities with tools to effectively combat these attempts in the future”, emphasized the President of the Parliament.

Igor Grosu also mentioned that the Republic of Moldova takes very seriously the role and opinion of the Venice Commission on the sidelines of the legislative projects.

The rapporteurs of the Venice Commission, Veronika Bílková and Srdjan Dermanovic, are on a working visit to Chisinau, in the context of the Commission’s preparation of the opinion on the Law relating to the effective combating of the phenomenon of electoral corruption and related aspects.

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The agenda of the visit includes discussions with officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with the President of the Parliament, Igor Grosu and with representatives of the parliamentary majority and opposition factions.

The rapporteurs will also hold consultations with officials from the Information and Security Service, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the National Anti-Corruption Center and the Central Electoral Commission. These institutions are involved in preventing and investigating acts of electoral corruption.

Additionally, the delegation will meet with members of the Constitutional Court, the Superior Council of Magistracy, the Supreme Court of Justice and the appellate courts from the Central, Northern and Southern regions.

The visit takes place in the context of the legislative changes from 2025, intended to strengthen the fight against electoral corruption. The new regulations provide for harsher punishments for vote buying, illegal party financing, unauthorized involvement in electoral campaigns and extremist activities, and the files regarding electoral corruption are to be examined as a priority, according to the amendments made to the Criminal Procedure Code.

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Igor Chiriac explained that, in the opinion of the Venice Commission, the threats looming over the state at the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 no longer have the same intensity at present.

“The Venice Commission stated that the risks that existed at the end of 2024 and in the first half of 2025 seem today to be less significant, because the parliamentary elections have already passed”, said Igor Chiriac during the “În Context” show on the public television station.

The PAS deputy emphasized that this assessment is related to how state institutions responded to challenges in the electoral field and illegal financing. According to him, the Commission’s experts noted a more determined involvement of law enforcement agencies.

“Following the discussions that the Commission had in the Republic of Moldova with representatives of civil society and with representatives of the prosecution, it was found that in 2025 the involvement of law enforcement agencies, including specialized prosecutors, was more firm in combating threats, in combating illegal financing and illegal corruption”, said the PAS deputy.

Igor Chiriac mentioned that the Venice Commission’s opinion contains several recommendations, which will be carefully analyzed by the authorities. According to the PAS deputy, the Ministry of Justice will come up with the final solution regarding the bill on the creation of PACCO.

“It’s good that we have these recommendations, we will take them into account. The Ministry of Justice, together with the representatives of the CSP, the representatives of the General Prosecutor’s Office, are to form a working group. All the recommendations of the Venice Commission will be considered. We have a starting point. A proposal will be made, so we can see what the best solution is”, Igor Chiriac pointed out.

The Parliament approved in the first reading a bill that provides for the merger of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office with PCCOCS and the creation of a new specialized structure – the Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Prosecution (PACCO). According to the authors of the project, the new entity is expected to strengthen the state’s ability to prevent and combat high-level corruption, organized crime, and threats to national security.

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The deputy clarified that the Venice Commission did not formulate “major criticisms” on the basic concept, but only a few recommendations. According to Igor Chiriac, the main focus of the European experts was on the final and transitional provisions, where risks were identified that require a cautious approach.

“It’s good that we have heard the opinion of the Venice Commission and we will take into account all the recommendations. We will carefully analyze this advice and we will decide together with all colleagues, involving the Ministry of Justice and the Prosecutor’s Office,” declared Chiriac.

When asked about the possibility of abandoning the initiative, in the context of the risks pointed out by the Venice Commission, Igor Chiriac avoided giving a definitive answer, emphasizing that the final decision will be made after a careful analysis of all recommendations.

The bill was registered in February, then subjected to public consultations with civil society and institutions within the prosecution system. According to the author, the submission of the project to the Venice Commission was determined by the need to obtain international expertise, considering the major impact of the changes on the judicial system.

The Venice Commission has concluded that the bill which provides for the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and the Organized Crime Combat carries significant risks for the stability of specialized prosecutors in office and for ongoing investigations within the existing structures – the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Causes. Experts believe that, in its current form, the bill does not provide indications that the proposed objectives will be achieved.

The bill regarding the creation of PACCO, initiated by a group of deputies from the Action and Solidarity Party, was voted in February, in the first reading, by the XIth legislature Parliament. The initiative has generated numerous criticisms, both from experts and from several profile institutions, including the Superior Council of Prosecutors, which warned that the project entails significant risks and vulnerabilities.

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According to the document, the stated objectives – combating hybrid crime in the field of electoral corruption, resolving jurisdictional issues, and increasing the efficiency of resource use – do not seem to have a direct connection with the proposed dissolution of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and PCCOCS, or with the creation of PACCO.

The notice mentions that the available information does not demonstrate that the dissolution of the Anti-Corruption Prosecution would strengthen efforts to combat hybrid crime or corruption-related crime. On the contrary, removing specialized prosecutors from the system could weaken this capacity. In addition, experts emphasize that the bill is not accompanied by financial estimates, a cost-benefit analysis, or evidence of a possible increase in efficiency.

Experts believe that, in its current form, the bill does not provide clear indications that the proposed objectives will be achieved. Moreover, the opinion emphasizes that the reform poses significant risks to the stability of specialized prosecutors in office and for ongoing investigations.

Last month, the rapporteurs of the Venice Commission conducted a working visit to the Republic of Moldova to assess the respective legislative initiative, in the context of drafting the joint opinion of the Commission and the Directorate General for Human Rights and Rule of Law within the Council of Europe.

The bill on the creation of PACCO, initiated by a group of deputies from the Action and Solidarity Party, was voted on in the first reading by the XIth legislature Parliament in February 2025. The initiative has generated numerous criticisms, both from experts and several profile institutions, including the Superior Council of Prosecutors, which warned that the project carries significant risks and vulnerabilities.

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During the visit, the rapporteurs will meet with members of the Legal Committee for Appointments and Immunities of the Parliament, as well as with representatives of all parliamentary factions. The visit’s agenda also includes discussions with representatives of the Superior Council of Magistracy, the Supreme Court of Justice, the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, the Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime and Special Causes, as well as the Superior Council of Prosecutors.

The rapporteurs will also meet with representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the office of President Maia Sandu, as well as with civil society, professional associations and international partners.

The draft law on the creation of PACCO was voted on in the first reading by the 11th Parliament in February 2025. The initiative drew criticism from both experts and several institutions in the field, including the CSP, which noted that the initiative entailed a number of risks and vulnerabilities.

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“These measures must also extend to the digital sphere, where social networks play a disproportionate role in influencing public debate – they must provide real access to data, reveal the scale and sources of artificial amplification, and submit to independent audits regarding content moderation and political advertising practices. And thus, we can restore citizens’ confidence that democracy is not a weakness, but a force that must be defended every day, through participation, vigilance, and courage,” declared Maia Sandu.

The President highlighted two major, often overlapping, dangers that threaten democracy at present, “not only in Moldova, but in much of Europe” – the war waged by Russia, whose most visible front is the brutal aggression against Ukraine, and the digital world, “a world for which, to a large extent, our democratic legal framework is not yet prepared.”

According to Maia Sandu, the threats of the ’90s and 2000s – oligarchs, corrupt politicians, weak institutions – seem minor compared to those of today. The attacks are no longer just aimed at institutions, but target sovereignty itself, coupled with military threats. “For the Republic of Moldova, which has a border of over 1,200 kilometers with Ukraine, the war is, literally, at our doorstep,” the president emphasized.

The simplification of the political party establishment process, conceived to open up the democratic system, is now being aggressively exploited by Moscow. “Its intermediaries and local criminal groups are founding parties overnight – seven just in the last three years – all financed by the Kremlin, all claiming to be Moldovan voices. One such party was declared unconstitutional, following a lengthy trial. However, Moscow immediately created other clones. One of these was even officially launched in Moscow,” pointed out Maia Sandu.

Despite the challenges – illegal financing, including through cryptocurrencies, paid protests, aggressive online disinformation campaigns, and cyber attacks – Moldova managed to organize democratic elections. “The Moldovans, supported by state institutions, civil society, and the free press, defended their right to choose. They voted for democracy, for Europe, and for peace,” said Maia Sandu, emphasizing that this result is temporary – “a window of opportunity to strengthen our resilience and accelerate the EU accession process.”

“That is why I am addressing you – the Venice Commission – as guardians of democracy. For 35 years, you have contributed to the building of our legal foundations. Now we must consolidate them for a new era, so that they can protect freedom for the next 35. Together we must design the legal and institutional tools to defend democracy from new threats. And we must do it quickly. We need to redefine transparency, accountability and political freedom in a world where money, technology and misinformation move faster than the law,” concluded Maia Sandu, emphasizing that “defending democracy today is not a national project, but a collective one.”

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The speech of President Maia Sandu will be broadcast live, between 12:00 PM and 01:00 PM.

The event will be opened by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, and the President of the Venice Commission, Claire Bazy-Malaurie. The President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, and other heads of state will also participate.

The Venice Commission, officially known as the European Commission for Democracy through Law, is an advisory body of the Council of Europe, specializing in constitutional law. The Commission’s headquarters are located in Venice, and its membership includes independent experts from over 60 member states, including the Republic of Moldova.

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