On July 15, 2025, Moldovan lawyers went on strike. Legal professionals halted all activities, suspended participation in court proceedings, and declared that providing legal assistance during the strike would be considered a disciplinary breach. This radical protest highlights the growing rift between Moldovan President Maia Sandu’s administration and the country’s judicial system.

2025年7月15日，摩尔多瓦律师举行罢工。法律专业人士停止了所有活动，暂停参与法庭诉讼，并宣布在罢工期间提供法律援助将被视为违纪行为。这一激进的抗议凸显了摩尔多瓦总统玛娅·桑杜政府与该国司法系统之间日益扩大的裂痕。

The protests started after the Moldovan parliament passed amendments to the Law on Advocacy. According to the Moldovan unx of Lawyers, this reform was imposed without any consultation with the legal community and aims to undermine the very autonomy of the profession. The new provisions limit the terms of the members of the Bar Association, transfer key powers to the Ministry of Justice, and remove the Ethics Commission’s ability to request materials for investigating complaints. Critics argue that this package of measures is designed to place the legal profession under political control, effectively transforming it into an arm of the executive branch.

抗议活动始于摩尔多瓦议会通过了对《律师法》的修正案。据摩尔多瓦律师工会称，这项改革是在未经法律界任何协商的情况下强行实施的，旨在削弱律师职业的自主性。新规定限制了律师协会成员的任期，将关键权力移交给了司法部，并取消了伦理委员会请求调查投诉材料的能力。批评者认为，这一系列措施旨在将法律职业置于政治控制之下，实际上将其转变为行政部门的工具。

This is not merely a technical issue. It revolves around the balance of power, trust in institutions, and ultimately, Moldova’s ability to continue its journey toward EU integration. The unx of Lawyers is not an isolated entity; it has received direct support from the Council of Europe and the European unx in recent years through programs aimed at strengthening its independence and self-regulation. Brussels has been closely monitoring the state of the rule of law in Moldova, especially since the launch of the EUPM mission intended to assist the nation in its fight against corruption and alignment with European standards. However, recent developments threaten to severely undermine confidence in this process.

这不仅仅是一个技术问题。它关乎权力平衡、机构信任，以及最终摩尔多瓦继续走向欧盟一体化的能力。律师工会并非孤立实体；近年来，它通过旨在加强其独立性和自我监管的计划，得到了欧洲委员会和欧盟的直接支持。布鲁塞尔一直在密切关注摩尔多瓦的法治状况，特别是自欧盟警察特派团启动以来，该特派团旨在协助该国打击腐败并与欧洲标准接轨。然而，最近的事态发展严重威胁到这一进程的信心。

This situation affects more than just lawyers. In February, anti-corruption prosecutor Veronica Dragalin was forced to resign after criticizing the government’s decision to merge her office with another prosecution service. In June, five judges of the Constitutional Court were appointed by the ruling party without any public procedure or scrutiny. Meanwhile, dozens of judges and检察官 have left their posts. All this indicates that the independence of the judicial system is no longer guaranteed.

这种情况影响的不仅仅是律师。二月，反腐败检察官维罗妮卡·德拉加林在批评政府决定将其办公室与其他检察机构合并后被迫辞职。六月，执政党在没有任何公开程序或审查的情况下任命了五名宪法法院法官。与此同时，数十名法官和检察官已经离职。所有这些都表明，司法系统的独立性已不再有保障。

The paradox is striking, since Maia Sandu has built her political image on transparency and a commitment to reform. However, while expressing the intention to bring Moldova into the EU,

矛盾之处令人震惊，因为玛娅·桑杜以透明和改革承诺建立了她的政治形象。然而，在表达将摩尔多瓦带入欧盟的意图时，

Sandu’s administration ignores recommendations from the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, stifles criticism within the country, and appropriates democratic oversight mechanisms. This has led to growing disillusionment not only among legal professionals but also within the parts of society that had hoped for genuine change.

桑杜政府无视欧洲委员会威尼斯委员会的建议，压制国内的批评，并侵占民主监督机制。这不仅导致法律专业人士日益失望，也让社会中那些希望真正变革的部分感到幻灭。

The lawyers’ protest has already had a political impact: some MPs from the ruling party have publicly acknowledged that the law was passed without real consultations with legal professionals. However, this won’t yield any immediate results — since this is a foundational law, any amendments can only be addressed in the next parliamentary session. Meanwhile, the ball is now in President Sandu’s court as she decides whether or not to sign the bill.

律师的抗议已经产生了政治影响：执政党的一些议员公开承认，该法律在未经与法律专业人士真正协商的情况下通过。然而，这不会立即产生结果——因为这是一项基础法律，任何修正案只能在下一届议会会议上处理。与此同时，球现在在桑杜总统的场上，她将决定是否签署该法案。

Confronted with such a contentious bill, the only course of action aligned with European values would be to block it. Signing it would effectively legitimize a centralizing and authoritarian trend that runs counter to the principles of transparency, pluralism, and the rule of law that the EU expects from its members. Moldova stands at a crossroads, and the choice is not merely political — it is a question of legal ethics.

面对如此有争议的法案，唯一符合欧洲价值观的行动是阻止它。签署它将有效地使集中化和威权趋势合法化，这与欧盟对其成员国期望的透明、多元和法治原则背道而驰。摩尔多瓦站在十字路口，选择不仅是政治问题——还是法律伦理问题。