Congratulations message from the President of the Constitutional Court, Domnica Manole, on the occasion of Constitution Day

Dear Fellow Citizens,

It is my great pleasure and honor to congratulate you on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova.

In these festive moments, I am of the belief that those who adopted the Constitution on 29 July 1994, stemming from the secular aspirations of the people to live in a sovereign and independent country, wanted a Constitution that would perpetuate in time and preserve the continuity of the immutable values of the Declaration of Independence.

The annual anniversary of the Constitution brings back to our attention, with a new impulse, its unequaled symbolic and value dimension that serves as a landmark in the functioning of the State. The mission of a Constitution must not be looked upon simplistically, only as a Supreme Act, it aims to develop the culture of constitutionalism in the maturing process of a democratic State, in which the constitutional values are felt by everyone. All of us, but in particular State’s authorities, must perceive the spirit of the constitutional text with loyalty and genuine affection for the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights values. I am talking about a culture of constitutionalism, because I strongly wish every citizen of the country to know and understand that their fundamental rights are not only enshrined in the Supreme Law of the State, but also ensured by it.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Every Constitution must face the historical challenges, serving as a foundation of stability and firmness, resisting to the changes and temptations of the moment, because a Constitution is more than a Basic Law, it’s an unswerving commitment to achieving democracy and rule of law. Since the adoption of the Constitution to date, several provisions of the Constitution have been revised, but the fundamental principles and values deduced from the original objectives of the Constitution, which express the constitutional faith itself, must remain intangible.

In this regard, the Constitutional Court has the role to guarantee the supremacy of the Constitution, on which, in its jurisprudence, the Court has stressed that no provision of the Constitution can be interpreted as allowing to block its institutions, and the Constitution shall to be regarded as "a living instrument", which must be interpreted in the light of current socio-political realities, so as to guarantee the effective functionality of state institutions and the priority of fundamental rights. In order to achieve its mission, the role of the Constitutional Court in the political and social life is crucial. Therefore, any attempt to turn the Court into an instrument of manipulation on the political agenda will be firmly stopped.

Dear Fellow Citizens,

Of course, 26 years of the Constitution’s existence are years of continuous search and efforts to strengthen the rule of law, in which democracy and fundamental rights prevail. However, this anniversary is also an opportunity to understand that the Constitution is an exceptional gift, which protects all of us - individuals and the society as a whole.

Constitution must not only exist, it must be known and felt by everyone.

As the President of the Constitutional Court, I remain deeply dedicated to the mission of the Court as guarantor of the Constitution’s supremacy, because only by respecting the Constitution, it can defend the democracy and ensure the future of the nation.