The success of the referendum regarding the European integration of the Republic of Moldova “may lead to the loss of traditional family values”, according to a false narrative promoted by the party of wanted oligarch Ilan Shor.
NEWS: People often do not understand the danger of the upcoming referendum. Sandu says it will concern the accession of our country to the European Union. In fact, it is about allowing the Constitution to be amended in line with EU law. And this can lead to the loss of traditional family values and other controversial effects.
[...] The referendum seeks to create a precedent for amending the Constitution, which is what PAS actually wants. Let us imagine that, in the near future, they will change the Constitution not through a referendum, but in Parliament. They can freely change the Constitution to discard such terms as mother and father, grandmother and grandfather, replacing them with parent 1 and parent 2. What guarantees do we have that they won’t change the Constitution to force us to attend gay parades?
NARRATIVES: 1. The EU integration of the Republic of Moldova into the EU could lead to the “loss of traditional family values”. 2. The EU integration referendum could pave the way for simplifying the procedures to revise the Constitution.
PURPOSE: To associate the European integration of the Republic of Moldova with sensitive topics and decisions that are supported by a narrow part of the population (in the present case, the possible introduction of additional rights for sexual minorities) in order to confuse and reduce the number of supporters of European integration. To undermine the referendum on Moldova’s EU integration in order to reduce voter turnout and encourage opposition to the referendum.
WHY THE NARRATIVES ARE FALSE: The October referendum is focused exclusively on the European integration of the Republic of Moldova, not the LGBT community or its rights.
Besides, the EU does not have a pro-LGBT agenda, but observes human rights and the rights of minorities, including sexual minorities.
There were certain requirements regarding the observance of rights of minorities, including sexual minorities, which the Republic of Moldova fulfilled back in 2012. Previously, Veridica dismantled several false narratives on this topic, claiming that the EU makes Moldova’s EU accession conditional on the legalization of same-sex marriages, that the LGBT agenda has become mandatory for Moldova, or that Moldovan authorities shut down a TV station for promoting “traditional values”.
As regards the amendment of the Constitution in line with EU legislation, it should be noted that the Constitution presently stipulates that “the entry into force of an international treaty containing provisions contrary to the Constitution will have to be preceded by a revision of it” (Art. 8, paragraph 2).
The claim that, following the referendum, the procedure for amending the Constitution in Parliament could be simplified is also absurd, given that the procedure for amending the Constitution is not the subject of the referendum. In addition, Parliament can already amend the Constitution, with some exceptions, by two thirds of its vote (Art. 141-143)
BACKGROUND: On October 20, the Republic of Moldova will hold a referendum on amending the Constitution with respect to the Republic of Moldova's accession to the European Union. The referendum will coincide with the presidential election, being initiated by the incumbent president Maia Sandu, who seeks a new term in office.
The referendum is held as the Republic of Moldova has reported significant progress on its path towards joining the EU. Over the past couple of years (from March 2022), Moldova and Ukraine have gone through every stage, from submitting their letters of applications to the actual launch of accession negotiations.
Certain political forces, especially factions controlled by the wanted oligarch Ilan Shor, currently based in Moscow, also supported by ethnic minorities, especially the Găgăuz, who control an autonomous territorial unit in southern Moldova, oppose Moldova’s European integration.
Facing a rather conservative society, where the Church enjoys the greatest popular support and where a large number of citizens favor Eurasian integration, LGBT-related topics are quite sensitive in the Republic of Moldova.
Topics related to the LGBT community have been used for years by Russian propaganda (or by ultraconservative camps influenced by the Kremlin or sharing in its ideology, especially representatives of the Metropolitanate of Moldova, subordinated to the Russian Patriarchate) in its attempts to discredit the European Union and pro-European governments in Chișinău. Thus, the EU is presented as “Gayrope”, a space at odds with traditional, Christian, Orthodox values, which Russia claims to represent. The public is mistakenly driven to equate homosexuality to pedophilia, to show the authorities seek to legalize pedophilia. Russian propaganda also suggests the EU is trying to impose a so-called “LGBT agenda”. And finally, Russian narratives seek to identify human rights, which represent a fundamental value of the European community, with the promotion and encouragement of non-traditional sexual relations.
