Chirtoaca bears no grudge against central authorities about Xmas tree story

Chisinau Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca says he bears no ill feeling towards the central authorities following “the Christmas tree story”. Chirtoaca maintained that the conflict around the Christmas tree was not what the local authorities were looking for; they just “wanted to go about their business”. The mayor said that once the City Hall’s festive events to be held on December 25, 26, and 27 are complete, and if no other Christmas-tide manifestations come up, the city authorities could borrow the string lights and the garlands decorating the trees in downtown Chisinau to the central authorities for the events planned to celebrate New Year’s Eve and the Eastern Orthodox Christmas, following a request made by the Government. The Chisinau authorities inaugurated an official Christmas tree in front of the City Hall building on December 24. The same tree was erected on December 9 in Chisinau’s main plaza, but, as the local authorities alleged, the evergreen was displaced by the police in the course of that night. The next day, the police and the intelligence service opposed categorically a new attempt of the local authorities to move the tree back where it stood.