Moldova's parliament requests Venice Commission's opinion on changes to appointment of candidates to Vetting Commission

Moldova’s parliament has asked the European Commission for Democracy through Law (the Venice Commission) to issue an opinion on the amendments introduced by Law No. 26/2026, which regulates the procedure for appointing candidates proposed by development partners to the vetting commissions for judges and prosecutors.

According to the members of the parliament’s legal commission for appointments and immunities, the initiative aims to assess the compatibility of these provisions with democratic principles, the rule of law and constitutional standards.

Under the new provisions, if external candidates do not get a 3/5 majority of votes of MPs, the legal commission for appointments and immunities will re-examine the candidates and will put forward for adoption those who received the highest number of votes. This subsidiary mechanism applies only to candidates proposed by development partners, while the procedure for national candidates remains unchanged and requires consensus among the parliamentary factions.

The parliament emphasizes that the amendments were adopted, in order to prevent institutional deadlock and to strengthen the integrity and credibility of the judicial system. The authors of the reform note that, just as the state must ensure the security of judges and prosecutors, it also has the responsibility to establish effective mechanisms for appointing qualified candidates and for the stable work of the vetting commissions.

The Venice Commission, established as an advisory body of the Council of Europe in 1990, brings together independent constitutional law experts from over 60 states and supports countries in strengthening democracy, the rule of law and the protection of fundamental rights.