Moldova's EU Membership: Referendum to be Held on the Same Day as Presidential Elections

The Moldovan parliament has set the date for a referendum on the country's European integration - it will take place on 20 October this year. The presidential election will be held on the same day.

This was reported by tv8.

This decision was voted for by 55 deputies of the ruling Action and Solidarity (PAS) party. 20 MPs from the opposition abstained from voting, and four more MPs from the Communist and Socialist bloc voted against.

As noted, the authors of the bill changed the question to be put to the referendum. Instead of the question "Are you in favour of Moldova's accession to the EU?", the ballot will contain the question: "Do you support the introduction of European integration into the Constitution of Moldova". And two options for answering: "Yes" and "No".

One of the authors of the draft law on holding the referendum, PAS MP Veronica Rosca, added that the ballot paper will specify the specific changes that will be made to the Constitution if the majority of voters vote in favour.

In this case, the preamble to the Constitution will mention Moldova's European identity and the irreversibility of its European development path. 

The Constitution will also include a separate article on European integration. It will state that Moldova accedes to the treaties establishing the European Union and to the acts revising the EU founding treaties. After accession to these treaties and acts, they will take precedence over Moldova's national laws.

These amendments will be introduced immediately after the country's Constitutional Court recognises the results of the referendum without an additional vote in parliament.

In March 2022, Moldovan President Maia Sandu signed Moldova's application for EU membership.

 As The Gaze has reported, the European Union and Moldova are set to sign a security agreement next week that will boost cooperation on defence, cyber threats and foreign interference to an "unprecedented level".