Even if the current authorities learned ‘the gas lesson’ taught to the Republic of Moldova in time, the defective communication with society on the issue continues, especially when the propagandistic capacities of Gazprom are used to the maximum to create the impression that there is no way out than to accept the will of Moscow, Igor Boțan, the expert of IPN’s project “Developing Political Culture through Public Debates”, stated in the public debate “What is the government’s optimism about energy crisis based on?”

He said the defective communication refers not only to the problem of gas, but also to what the current government does. “I think the government is unable to explain clearly and plainly what it does and why it does it... Under the legislation, Missis Maia Sandu has no power in this regard and it is not her area of responsibility. But there is the Government, there is the legal framework and there are weather adversities,” stated the expert. “Besides being offered compensation, the people should be told that they will not remain alone in front of the problems”.

Chisinau has possibilities to obtain the fulfillment of its demands in a new contract with the Russian gas giant. The big problem is that the hydrocarbons became an instrument of pressure of the Russian Federation, which aims to become an energy superpower. To achieve its goal, it wants long-term contracts. But this approach runs counter to the EU’s strategies, primarily those for switching over to renewable energy.

As to the contract for the supply of gas for a 15-year period signed by Russia and Hungary, the expert said the gas price calculation formula wasn’t made public. Also, the objectives that Serbia aims to achieve are also not known. “We only know that it does not like the proportion of gas to the price of crude oil and the price on the stock exchange. Hungary probably obtained a good contract as it accepted a long-term agreement, which means stability for the gas giant too”.

Igor Boțan presumes the Republic of Moldova can obtain a good contract if this is signed for a long period of time. The negotiations will be based on the price of gas on the stock exchange and the price of crude oil and political concessions will be excluded.

Asked about the opposition’s communication with society, the expert said the Bloc of Communists and Socialists had an abnormal reaction to the gas issue and the authorities’ efforts to overcome the crisis. “The media market in the Republic of Moldova is distorted. The Party of Socialists denies having a mega-holding of Russian media outlets. The subject of access to financing from advertising should be ultimately regulated... The government should yet build an appropriate communication policy so that the people know what it dies and why it does it”.

The public debate entitled “What is the government’s optimism about energy crisis based on?” was organized by IPN News Agency in the framework of the project “Developing Political Culture through Public Debates” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.