The president of the Party of Socialists is advised to offer public apologies to President Maia Sandu for his sexist statements and statements that incite discrimination. A decision to this effect was taken by the Equality Council following a request made by the Gender Equality Platform. The discriminatory statements were made by the former President during the campaign prior to the presidential elections of 2020, IPN reports.

According to the Gender Equality Platform, on October 23, 2020, in his online program “Igor Dodon Responds”, Igor Dodon discriminatorily labeled his challenger Maia Sandu for the reason that she does not have children. “You are for those candidates who do not have and do not intend to have children,” he stated then. The Gender Equality Platform considered those statements discriminatory in relation to Maia Sandu and, in general, to all the women in Moldova in a similar situation. Having children or not is just a detail in the biography of a person, which is of public interest in the case of a public figure, but this does not define the personality and professional aptitudes.

In another edition of the same program, on November 13, 2020, Igor Dodon said he pleaded for things that are typical of the largest majority, while his rival had zero values. “Besides, how can you talk to a person who in her life didn’t have a family and didn’t have anything, who goes to those marches through Chisinau, who hates our history”.

The Council’s decision can be challenged within 30 days of its communication in the Râșcani branch of the Chisinau City Court.

IPN asked Igor Dodon’s spokeswoman Carmena Sterpu to comment on the Equality Council’s decision, but she hasn’t yet come with a reaction.