Moldovan MPs attend PACE autumn session in Strasbourg

A Moldovan parliamentary delegation is attending the autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which opened on Monday in Strasbourg to address critical security, rights, and technological issues.

The session, running through October 2, brings together 612 lawmakers from the Council of Europe’s 46 member states. Key agenda items include enforcing European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings regarding the Russian Federation, including compensation payments, safeguarding the International Criminal Court against emerging threats, and examining the impact of artificial intelligence on labor markets alongside the OECD.

Support for Ukrainian veterans and press freedom

European legislators are set to debate coordinated veteran policies across the continent, focusing on long-term systemic rehabilitation for Ukrainian service members wounded in combat. Discussions will also address escalating pressures on media independence and pluralism across the continent.

Broader debates will encompass demographic renewal, family-supportive policies, and the role of diaspora communities in strengthening social cohesion. The Assembly will review observation reports from recent parliamentary elections in Kosovo and Armenia, as well as institutional proposals to streamline PACE rules of procedure.

High-level addresses will feature Prince Albert II of Monaco, Portuguese President António José Martins Seguro, and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. The assembly will also hold a youth climate debate and confer the 14th Václav Havel Human Rights Prize.

Cross-party Moldovan representation

Moldova, a Council of Europe member state since 1995, is represented by a broad cross-party delegation. The delegation is led by Deputy Speaker Doina Gherman and national delegation head Ion Groza, secretary of the Foreign Policy Committee.

The group also includes Natalia Davidovici, vice-chair of the Committee on Human Rights and Interethnic Relations; Veronica Roșca, chair of the Legal Committee on Appointments and Immunities; Andrian Cheptonar and Renato Usatîi, vice-chairs of the Committee on National Security, Defense and Public Order; and foreign policy committee member Igor Dodon.

Translation by Iurie Tataru