27/11/2019
Council of Europe, Strasbourg - Today the President of the Venice Commission made the following statement:
“Following my meeting with the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Moldova, I am very concerned about the current conflicts among the different institutions of the state.
Self-serving and divisive attitudes must be avoided. The Republic of Moldova needs to prove that it is a viable constitutional state, governed by the Rule of Law.
The Constitution must be respected. The mandate and powers of the State institutions must be observed. In this respect I recall that the Venice Commission, in its October opinion, acknowledged the legitimacy of the current composition of the Superior Council of Magistracy. At the same time, these constitutional competences must always, and only, be used to fulfil legitimate institutional goals in the best interest of Moldovan citizens. There should be no room for vested or corporate interests.
I call on all the institutions of the Republic of Moldova to co-operate loyally and productively with each other to find a long-term solution for the independence and integrity of the judiciary and prosecution services, in compliance with the Moldovan Constitution and with the international principles of democracy and the rule of law. "