Moldovan Parliament Passes Controversial Romanian Language Bill

Moldovan lawmakers have passed a bill to replace references to the country's official national language from Moldovan to Romanian in the Constitution and in legislation. The bill was initiated by Moldova's ruling pro-Western Party of Action and Solidarity, PAS, and has sparked a debate with social, political, and geopolitical overtones. While those in favor of the official linguistic changes see them as an important step for the European Union candidate to distance itself from its Soviet past and historic ties to Moscow, others see it as an attack on the national Moldovan identity by pro-Western officials. The opposition parties may challenge the outcome at the country's Constitutional Court.