The Republican Party INIMA MOLDOVEI has published a new open letter addressed to the diplomatic corps accredited in the Republic of Moldova. In the document, party chair Irina Vlah informs foreign diplomats about new developments in the case concerning the restrictions imposed on the party and its exclusion from the parliamentary elections of 28 September 2025.

According to Irina Vlah, the party was unlawfully removed from the electoral race and subsequently subjected to restrictions based on amendments to the Law on Political Parties that entered into force on 14 June 2025. She argues that these measures were applied abusively and represent a serious misuse of power. Vlah notes that the recent conclusions of the Venice Commission confirm the concerns repeatedly raised by the party.

The Venice Commission found that preventive restrictions on a political party cannot be based solely on suspicions or political statements — which, according to Vlah, was precisely the case for INIMA MOLDOVEI. The Commission stressed that credible and sufficiently weighty evidence must exist; courts must examine concrete facts rather than abstract risks; and it must be proven that a party’s activities pose a real and sufficiently serious threat to democracy or constitutional order. The letter states that none of these principles were respected in the case of INIMA MOLDOVEI.

The Commission also underlined that before restricting a party’s activity, authorities must consider less intrusive alternatives, such as financial sanctions, holding specific individuals accountable, limiting certain types of activities (e.g., illegal financing), or applying oversight and monitoring measures. If such measures can address the issue, suspending or restricting a party’s activity is not justified. According to Vlah, no such alternatives were even considered, and the intention was clear: to exclude INIMA MOLDOVEI from the elections and push it out of political life.

Furthermore, the Venice Commission warned that unjustified preventive measures affect the right to vote and to stand for election — rights that cannot be restored once the electoral process has concluded, even if an effective remedy exists. The Commission also emphasized that such exceptional restrictions, both in nature and timing, are permissible only in the immediate proximity of elections and cannot be used as a tool for the de facto dissolution of a party. Vlah notes that the activity of INIMA MOLDOVEI remains restricted arbitrarily, contrary to the Commission’s findings and Council of Europe standards.

Following the Commission’s conclusions, Vlah argues that the authorities should have repealed the June 14 amendments to the Law on Political Parties. Such a step, she says, would demonstrate a return to democratic norms and respect for the Venice Commission. Instead, the ruling party publicly claimed that the Commission had validated its approach — a position Vlah describes as unprecedented in Moldova’s political practice. She adds that she formally requested Speaker Igor Grosu to initiate a draft law repealing the contested amendments, but has received no response.

In her address to the diplomatic corps, Irina Vlah calls on foreign representatives to closely monitor the authorities’ actions regarding the implementation of the Venice Commission’s conclusions. She also urges continued attention to the case of the Republican Party INIMA MOLDOVEI, stressing that the restrictions on the party should now be lifted and steps taken to fully rehabilitate it and remedy the consequences of what she describes as a serious abuse.

The letter concludes with Vlah’s warning that any other approach would challenge not only the Venice Commission but also the fundamental principles of democracy and the rule of law.