It was a year of crises, but also of the rapprochement with the European Union. This is how representatives of the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) describe the first year of government since they took over. For its part, the extraparliamentary opposition accuses the government of lack of transparency and urges to combine the forces of all the political parties and civil society so as to overcome the profound crises faced by the Republic of Moldova, IPN reports.
Even if it was a year marked by the security crisis in the region, the pandemic crisis and the economic crisis, the government managed to deliver a part of the promises made in the election campaign, said PAS MPs. Among the accomplishments, the representatives of the government mentioned the justice sector reform that includes the procedure for assessing the candidates for member of the Supreme Council of Magistracy and the Supreme Council of Prosecutors, clearing of state institutions of corrupt elements and the social projects intended primarily for citizens with low incomes.
“It was a very difficult year. We experienced multiple crises: pandemic, energy ones. The international inflation and the war in Ukraine leave an imprint on the quality of life in the Republic of Moldova. The situation is worsened by the fact that the country has been in recession the last few years. We inherited a lot of corruption and state budget gaps. Furthermore, the expectations of people were very big. Even during these difficult times, we managed to do a lot of things. Maybe the changes do not take place at the speed expected by the people, but our course is clear. We have endeavored to achieve the objectives we set. We managed to raise the pensions, index the pensions, increase the salaries of public sector employees. The pre-vetting procedure was initiated and later the extraordinary assessment of judges and prosecutors was launched. The state institutions started to be cleaned,” PAS MP Vitalie Jacot stated in the talk show “The Alternative” on TV8 channel.
For its part, the extraparliamentary opposition praises the government for the foreign policy achievements, but is critical of the way in which the home affairs are managed. The president of the Party “Dignity and Truth Platform” Dinu Plângău suggested that the representatives of the government should not divide society according to political criteria and should ask for assistance from all the specialists so as to break the impasse.
“The government surely achieved results in bringing the Republic of Moldova closer to the European Union. But they do not manage to cope with the internal problems. Enough time passed, but we haven’t seen any anti-crisis plan. If the MPs, the ministers don’t know how to act, they should seek help from experts, the opposition. All these problems can be discussed at national level. Why isn’t’ a Parliament sitting held to discuss the problems experienced by the people? They come up with bills overnight and later see that the law does not work. But it does not work because it hadn’t been debated. In times of crises, nationwide consultations should be held with the involvement of civil society, experts, representatives of different political parties. It now goes not to the interests of PAS or the opposition, but to the country’s interests,” stated Dinu Plângău.
Political commentators also support the idea of a national consensus between the government, the parliamentary and extra-parliamentary opposition, civil society and the academia.
“We had an exposition in energy prices. The war has an impact of the Republic of Moldova too. Some things were done, but the citizens will feel the results later. In the current conditions, an anti-crisis cell should be constituted. If they don’t have what to hide, they should create such a cell that would involve experts, the opposition. On the other hand, I understand the logic of the government. If the prices are high, the collected taxes are also high. They collect money and later offer social benefits. But the government should ensure transparency. All the experts who have ideas, representatives of the Academy of Economic Studies should formulate proposals. Everyone should be listened to and the best formula should be chosen,” said political pundit Igor Boțan.
The Party of Action and Solidarity took over as a result of the July 11, 2021 snap parliamentary elections, gaining 63 seats of MP.
