Those who say that this crisis faced by the Republic of Moldova results from the current foreign policy of Chisinau are wrong. The contract with Gazprom was signed in 2006 and was extended for several times. Those who earlier agreed the terms of the contract are now in the opposition, Igor Boțan, the standing expert of IPN’s project, stated in a public debate staged by IPN News Agency.

“The current prices of Gazprom are not a reply to the current foreign policy of the government. The subsidies provided by the Government are related to the management of the imported crisis,” said the expert, noting that the authorities took concrete steps whose efficiency is not known, but these eliminated the perception of a collapse.

As to the fact that the government and the opposition in the current economic and social conditions continued the political confrontation, the expert said it is normal for the opposition to criticize, as the current rulers did when they were in the opposition. Everyone should play their role and the opposition does it job.

Igor Boțan noted the opposition is combative and comes with alternative bills, but the current situation has its roots in the past. A change in the relations with Gazprom occurred in 2006. Until then Chisinau paid other sums that were four times higher than in Russia, three times higher than in Belarus, 1.5 times higher than in Ukraine. “In 2006, the then government – representatives of the current parliamentary opposition – were forced to switch over to the market price... We know very well the reactions of Mister Voronin, who held office of President then, concerning the way in which the then Prime Minister Zinaida Grechanyi and the then Minister of Economy Igor Dodon managed the situation...”

Igor Boțan said it should be clear that the formula that worked for 15 years was extended for another five years and this period of five years turned into another trap for the government. “But no one knows how it is better. I think the Government wanted to make sure that there will be gas and this gas will be delivered according to a formula set earlier. The opposition can be reproached for negotiating the formula whose effects have to be handled now. Here it is 1.6 billion lei of the budget. Here it is the support of the European Union and here there are the measures we propose,” stated the expert.

The public debate “Shock of rates and government’s remedies for diminishing its impact on the population” is the 213th installment of the series of debates “Developing Political Culture through Public Debates”. The project implemented by IPN is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.