Irina Vlah, head of the Public Association “Moldova Platform”, highlights three other major problems faced by Moldovan society, which were identified by the Association within the earlier announced campaign “Voice of the People”. According to her, people’s concerns are related to the continuous deepening of poverty, the extent of corruption and the galloping augmentation of the state debt, IPN reports, quoting a press issued by Irina Vlah.
According to the politician, practically everyone she spoke to is worried about the continuous deepening of poverty. “They are disappointed that Maia Sandu and the PAS promised good times, but, in reality, they destroyed everything they could and today, especially in villages, poverty has reached unimaginable levels. Many people have told us that today they live worse even than in the wild 1990s. During the first two years of complete PAS government, the cumulative inflation exceeded 42% and, by the end of this year, it will reach almost 50%. None of the previous governments allowed inflation to be so high. Moreover, instead of indexing pensions to inflation, as the law previously provided, Maia Sandu’s pocket government mocked pensioners, canceling this legal provision. And the last indexation of only 6% is a mockery and a blow applied to hundreds of thousands of pensioners, who were brought below the poverty line, while PAS ministers set for themselves unreasonable salaries of tens of thousands of lei,” runs the press release.
According to Irina Vlah, the situation related to corruption is another major concern of the people. “The citizens tell us that they had high expectations in this regard, that they sincerely believed Maia Sandu’s statements that corruption will be eradicated and, as a result, the country will develop, will become a truly prosperous state. Now the people sadly ascertain that they have been lied to, and their impression is that today there is more corruption in Moldova than ever before. We are often asked: why did we need to buy expensive gas from unknown sources because the government wanted to get rid of dependence on Russia if we eventually return to buying gas from “Gazprom”? The people have a lot of questions about dubious purchases of fuel oil, about non-transparent schemes implemented on the energy market by the Commission for Emergency Situations, about setting of electricity charges, etc.”
According to “Moldova Platform”, another great concern of the people is related to the galloping augmentation of the state debt “during the government of Maia Sandu’s team”. “In 2022 alone (the first year of full PAS government), the state debt increased by 16.9 billion lei or 21%. Cumulatively, in over two and a half years of government, the little yellow men “managed” to increase the state debt of the Republic of Moldova by about a quarter, bringing it to 102 billion lei, which represents 32% of the Gross Domestic Product. And this means that, instead of governing in the interests of the people, as it was promised, Maia Sandu’s protégés kept taking out loans, plunging the country into debt, and the money was spent mostly on current consumption, including for their own pleasures, such as salaries of tens of thousands of lei, trips abroad, etc. The people are terrified that it will take many years for them, their children and maybe even their grandchildren to repay the debts accumulated by those from the PAS, who have shown that they can only live on loans,” said Irina Vlah.
In previous briefings centering on the results of the “Voice of the People” campaign, “Moldova Platform” referred to three other most frequently stated concerns of the people – “massive depopulation of the country, especially of villages; citizens’ fear that the authorities will engage Moldova in the war; the concern about the dictatorship that is making its presence in Moldova more felt”. The authorities haven’t yet responded to the criticism levelled at them.
