The referendum on whether Moldova should become a EU member, to be held simultaneously with the presidential election later this year, will be constitutional, as opposed to consultative. This was announced by Speaker Igor Grosu.

“This will be the ultimate democratic exercise, through which this controversy regarding the country’s foreign policy will be put to bed once and for all”, declared Grosu.

“It is time for all citizens with the right to vote to come and say whether they are for European integration or against. (…) And yes, let’s put this in the Constitution. Let it be a constitutional referendum”, Grosu stated during a show on JurnalTV.

Ex-president Igor Dodon, of the opposition Party of Socialists, earlier criticized the government’s plans to declare the referendum constitutional rather than merely consultative. According to him, enshrining European integration in the Constitution will limit Moldova’s sovereignty.

“I think this is not a priority for Moldova at this stage. Even the countries that became EU members held referendums only after completing all the accession procedures”, said Dodon. He went on to imply that the simultaneous EU referendum is a maneuver from a government that understands it will lose the presidential election otherwise.