Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001834/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Fernand Kartheiser (ECR)
On 17 April 2025, the Moldovan authorities prevented Archbishop Marchel, of the Moldovan Orthodox Church linked to the Moscow Patriarchate, from travelling to Jerusalem for the the Holy Fire Ceremony. He was detained at Chisinau airport without any official explanation, raising concerns about respect for religious freedom.
As the EU has opened accession negotiations with Moldova, the country is obliged to fully respect the fundamental principles of the Union, such as the rule of law, human rights and religious freedoms. Any failure to respect these values could jeopardise its future within the European Union.
In light of the above:
- 1.What is the Commission’s view of this incident? Does the Commission view this as an infringement of religious freedom in Moldova?
- 2.Does the Commission intend to raise this issue with the Moldovan authorities and warn them that they must avoid the kind of abuse in Moldova that we have seen perpetrated in Ukraine, namely against Orthodox Christians belonging to the Moscow Patriarchate or Russian-speaking citizens?
Submitted: 7.5.2025