Moldovan lawmakers have approved the first reading of a bill that will introduce the syntagma "Romanian language" in all official pieces of legislation during a stormy session that led to scuffles between the parliamentary majority and the opposition pro-Russian bloc.
The bill, introduced by pro-Western President Maia Sandu's ruling Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), was voted in favor of by 56 lawmakers in the 101-member parliament. The term "Romanian language" is intended to replace the currently used "Moldovan language," "official language," "state language," and "maternal language" in the constitution and all official documents. More than 80 percent of Moldovans speak Romanian as their mother tongue.
The naming of the country's official language is a hot political topic with "Romanian" favored by those who want closer relations or even unification with Romania, a European Union and NATO member.
Meanwhile, pro-Russians such as former President Igor Dodon want to keep the official language name "Moldovan," even though Moldovan isn't actually considered a language.
SEE ALSO: Romania Warns Of 'Fake News' About It Massing Troops On Moldovan BorderThe measure was vocally opposed by the Moscow-backed opposition grouped in the Communists and Socialists' Bloc (BCS), who displayed banners reading "Referendum," "Moldova, Moldovans, Moldovan way," and "Do not mock the constitution."
Some PAS and BCS lawmakers engaged in scuffles and even exchanging blows. BCS lawmakers said they will challenge the move at the Constitutional Court.
Moldova, a country of roughly 2.7 million, is located between Romania and Ukraine and has a history that is deeply intertwined with Romania.
The two neighbors share a common history, culture, and language. The eastern region of Romania is also called Moldova.
Most of Moldova was annexed by tsarist Russia in 1812 and was part of the Russian empire under the name Bessarabia until the end of World War I, when it voted to unite with Romania.
SEE ALSO: Kremlin Warns Moldova As Tensions Rise Following Coup Plot AllegationsIt was again annexed by Moscow and turned into a Soviet republic at the end of World War II, before declaring independence in 1991 amid the collapse of the Soviet Union.
One of Europe's poorest countries, Moldova has been confronted with further instability by Russia's war in Ukraine, receiving thousands of Ukrainian refugees and fearing a potential Russian invasion aided by Moscow's troops stationed in its breakaway Transdniester region.
U.S.-educated Sandu has sought to bring Moldova closer to the European Union and the United States ever since she defeated Moscow-backed Communist incumbent Igor Dodon in a December 2020 election.
Earlier this month, U.S. President Joe Biden met with Sandu in Poland and "reaffirmed strong U.S. support for Moldova's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
If the bill gains final approval in a subsequent reading, it will replace in the constitution the "Moldovan language" with Romanian as being the country's official language.
The bill is based on a decision by the Constitutional Court from 2013 that ruled that the 1991 Moldovan Declaration of Independence that declared Romanian as the official language takes precedence over the constitution, where the language is described as "Moldovan."