Former PPPDA MP Igor Munteanu said the Government’s decision to request Parliament to declare a state of emergency is opportune and necessary. This mechanism enables to swiftly take decisions that cannot be delayed. The Government should equitably compensate the end uses for the higher gas tariffs. For his part, political commentator Nicolae Negru expressed his conviction that the dissensions on the supply of gas between Chisinau and Moscow have a political undertone, IPN reports.
According to the former MP, the energy crisis embraced the whole Europe and the Republic of Moldova is not isolated from the international context. The state of emergency will offer the authorities instruments for swiftly managing the crisis.
“It is a crisis that affected not only the Republic of Moldova. The price of natural gas rose six times all over Europe. This turbulence on the gas market influences the inflation rate. On the energy segment alone, the average inflation rate at the European level rose to 17.5%. As to the Republic of Moldova, when the supplier does not offer the necessary volumes and the pressure decreases drastically, the Government must obtain instruments and intervene by using alternative sources of gas, by compensating the vulnerable groups. I consider the Government should equitably compensate all the citizens. The citizens should know that the Government takes care of them,” Igor Munteanu stated in the talk show “Emphasis on Today” on TVR Moldova channel.
Political commentator Nicolae Negru is sure that there is Moscow’s wish to maintain influence on Moldova through the Transnistrian dispute behind the high price asked by Russia for gas.
“No matter what this government does, problems in the relations with Russia exist. I think they impose other conditions that are not related to the price as the negotiations involved Vladislav Kulminski, who is in charge of the Transnistrian issue. It goes to political pressure. The implementation of the Third Energy Package is also a political matter as Gazprom wants to maintain its monopoly, primarily in the Republic of Moldova. But we are not in the 1990s now and we can buy gas also from Ukraine, Romania and Poland,” stated Nicolae Negru.
Following the declaring of the state of emergency by Parliament, financial resources will be allocated for purchasing the necessary volumes of gas from other sources than from Russia. Simplified procurement procedures will be used and the consumption of natural gas and other energy resources will be rationalized, if need be.
