Official Apologizes for Plan to Impose Russian
The education minister apologized for an abortive attempt to make schoolchildren learn Russian, a measure that has prompted huge protests in the last six weeks.
Ilie Vancea suggested to nearly 4,000 protesters in the capital, Chisinau, that Communist Party hard-liners pressured him to make his decision last month. “I should have been stronger when it came to sacred things: our language and our history,” he said.
Two-thirds of Moldovans are of Romanian descent. The Russian requirement was scrapped Friday, but protests have continued.
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
