Speaker on opposition’s initiative to suspend head of state: Maia Sandu was elected President by nearly 1 million citizens, who called for and expect us to become EU member state

Speaker Igor Grosu reacted to the parliamentary opposition’s initiative to suspend President Maia Sandu from office, stating that the head of state was elected by nearly one million citizens who expect the continuation of the European path, the preservation of peace, and the relaunch of the economy. The statement was made after 46 opposition MPs signed an initiative regarding the suspension of the head of state.


“Maia Sandu was elected President by nearly 1 million citizens. They called for and expect concrete things: for us to become an EU member state, to preserve peace at home, to stand alongside people in the face of the hardships that have affected the Republic of Moldova, and to succeed in restarting the economy,” Igor Grosu said.


The Speaker criticized the opposition’s initiative and argued that it would not address issues such as security, energy prices, the situation on the Dniester, or the Republic of Moldova’s European path.


“I followed with great interest the press conference organized by the parties of Voronin, Dodon, Chicu, Ceban, Costiuc, and Usatîi. The opposition has united. Do you think it was to condemn the Russian drones that are endangering us? No. That is what I had hoped for as well. Or because they had found real solutions to buy cheaper gas? Or perhaps because they know how to bring water to the Dniester? Or because they had decided to contribute to advancing the Republic of Moldova on the path to EU accession?” Grosu said.


According to him, the opposition parties united to initiate the procedure for suspending the head of state.


“They united to remove President Maia Sandu. It is curious that the leaders of these parties did not show up. Perhaps they are ashamed of their own initiative. Maybe it is an order from above, and they do not want to be associated with it,” Igor Grosu said.


The Speaker noted that some of the authors of the initiative had allegedly had ties to the Russian Federation in the past.


“Most of those behind this shameful initiative have been in power. Some even wanted to place on citizens the burden of the alleged billions-worth gas debt owed by the Transnistrian region to the Russian Federation. Others worked with the FSB to win elections. Some are still working with it today,” Grosu said.


At the same time, the Speaker said that the Action and Solidarity Party  supports Maia Sandu’s work.


“PAS fully supports President Maia Sandu’s efforts to build a European, strong, and dignified state. Despite the difficulties, Moldova is moving forward, and we will do everything possible to ensure that we do not return to a past in which those currently standing at the podium behind this shameful initiative were running the country,” Igor Grosu said.


He also mentioned the international awards presented to Maia Sandu, stating that, in his view, they represent a symbol of the fight for democracy.


“And, by the way, we are proud of the international awards presented to Madam President, because they are a symbol of all Moldovans’ fight for democracy,” Grosu declared.


The parliamentary opposition announced on September 29 that it was initiating the procedure to suspend President Maia Sandu from office. The initiative is signed by 46 MPs and contains accusations concerning alleged violations of the Constitution, the undermining of the separation of powers in the state, and interference in the judiciary.

Under Article 89 of the Constitution, a proposal to suspend the president from office may be initiated by at least one-third of the MPs. The president may provide Parliament with explanations regarding the alleged actions. Approval of the suspension requires two-thirds of the votes of elected MPs. If the suspension proposal is approved, a referendum on dismissing the president must be organized within no more than 30 days.

In the 2024 presidential election, Maia Sandu received 930,139 votes in the second round, representing 55.35% of all valid votes cast.