According to the document, civic initiatives can be submitted through the e-Democracy platform or sent to the authorities in electronic format or on paper. They will need to describe the identified issue, the proposed solution, and the level it refers to – national or local.

The authorities will check the admissibility of the initiatives within a maximum of 10 working days. Subsequently, these can be subjected to the collection of public support exclusively on the e-Democracy platform, with user authentication through government services. The signature collection period will be from one month to six months.

For the official examination of an initiative, at least 10 thousand signatures will be required for those at the national level, while for local initiatives the threshold will be set according to the number of inhabitants of the community.

The project also provides for new public participation tools, such as citizen assemblies and national dialogues, as well as the obligation to publish consultations for draft normative acts on the particip.gov.md platform. The deadline for presenting recommendations from citizens is expected to be extended.

The document was prepared by the State Chancellery and is due to be examined in the second reading.

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According to Expert-Grup, the economy of the Republic of Moldova needs a model shift, from one based on cheap labor and raw material exports to one focused on added value, productivity, and investments. The organization believes that the current model has exhausted its potential for sustainable growth.

The analytical center mentions that the economic growth of 2.4% recorded last year does not compensate for the stagnation of previous years. Among the main problems are the low employment rate of the population – 40%, the lowest in Europe -, the absolute poverty level of 33.6% in 2024 and the budget deficit of 4-5% of GDP, considered unsustainable.

Expert-Grup draws attention to the fact that lending to the economy only represents 29% of the GDP, one of the lowest proportions in the region, and the ratio between exports and imports of goods is one to three. According to the organization, these problems are caused by demographic decline and labor force emigration, insufficient investments and governance deficiencies.

According to experts, the implementation of reforms depends on improving governance, including through the depoliticization of economic support mechanisms, consulting the business environment and strengthening the teams involved in negotiations with the European Union. According to estimates, the application of these policies by 2030 could reduce the budget deficit to 2-3% of GDP, increase public revenues and accelerate the economic convergence of the Republic of Moldova with the EU.

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The MEC proposes to supplement the Code of Contraventions and the Penal Code with penalties for both individuals and companies that provide scientific paper editing services. The measures aim at large fines, blocking of websites, and banning sponsored advertising for such services.

According to MEC data, a survey involving over four thousand students shows that approximately 23% are aware of instances where classmates have presented at exams papers written by others. On the other hand, anti-plagiarism software used by universities cannot identify custom-made papers.

The Minister of Education, Dan Perciun, stated that academic fraud and lack of integrity directly affect the prestige of universities and devalue the diplomas issued. The chairwoman of the parliamentary committee on the matter, Liliana Nicolaescu-Onofrei, emphasized the urgent need to amend the legislation and for a joint effort of institutions, in collaboration with law enforcement and university leaderships.

Representatives of the academic environment have supported the initiative and proposed additional measures, such as academic integrity hours and a national anti-plagiarism system based on artificial intelligence. The bill is set to be finalized and subjected to consultations in the upcoming period. The subject came under the authorities’ scrutiny following a journalistic investigation about networks and online platforms allegedly selling, for a fee, custom-made bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral works.

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Grigore Rinja, project coordinator at the National Youth Council of Moldova, emphasized that students do not have sufficient guarantees when reporting abuses in schools or dormitories. “It is essential to create, perhaps through the institution of a student ombudsman or other legal levers, a safe environment, without fear of repercussions”, he explained.

The debate also addressed inclusive education. Volunteer Teia Procopie, from the organization “Youth for the Right to Life,” insisted on curriculum adaptation and real support for students with ADHD and autism, emphasizing that mere physical presence does not ensure inclusion.

Minister Dan Perciun responded that the legislative changes aim to create a standard package of services and transform support roles into specialized functions, for effective, genuine inclusion, not just declarative.

Regarding the issue of university fees, the deputy of the Alternative bloc, Liliana Iaconi, proposed indexing them to the inflation rate to avoid unexpected increases. Other proposals during the debates targeted the recognition of volunteering in the academic journey and stricter anti-bullying policies.

The recommendations will be analyzed by the Commission for Culture, Education, Research, Youth, Sports, and Mass Media and could be included in the final form of the project. The Education Code was voted on in the first reading on January 12 and is set to be examined in the second reading.

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According to the CEC, the initiative aims to improve legislation and procedural mechanisms, in order to respond more efficiently to the risks identified in the latest elections and to ensure the integrity, security and transparency of future polls.

All electoral subjects are invited to participate in the process: political parties, central and local public authorities, civil society organizations, mass media and voters. The proposals will be discussed during the post-election analysis conference, which will be organized on February 19-20.

Following consultations, the CEC will finalize a package of proposals that will be submitted to Parliament for the promotion of the bill on amending the Electoral Code and related legislation.

Proposals can be submitted until February 20th to the following e-mail address: info@cec.md

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During a press briefing, Alexandr Odintov stated that the faction of the Socialist Party is willing to participate in negotiations, but will insist on some essential proposals for the 2026 budget, among which is the provision of heating compensation for the vulnerable residents of the capital.

“We are ready to negotiate and work, but we will defend the principal positions, first and foremost – the aid for the city’s inhabitants during the heating season. It is cynical to organize protests at the regulatory authorities and the Presidency, when you yourselves have eliminated the mechanism through which people could have received real help”, said the PSRM councilor further.

Several consecutive meetings of the Chisinau Municipal Council have failed due to lack of quorum. The PSRM councilors and those from the Action and Solidarity Party did not attend, criticizing their colleagues from MAN for wrong priorities.

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During a briefing, deputies Ala Ursu-Antoci and Vladimir Odnostalco announced that the PSRM has developed a package of social measures, which includes concrete solutions and calculated funding for the main social problems of the country.

Deputy Ala Ursu-Antoci explained that the socialists propose allocating additional resources for children from low-income families, to support their studies in colleges and universities. At the same time, the faction advocates for subsidizing companies that hire and train young specialists, increasing student scholarships and granting preferential loans for young professionals.

Parliamentarian Vladimir Odnostalco has drawn attention to the critical situation in several areas, including the increasing drug dependency. “It is essential to create mechanisms that address the issue comprehensively: preventing consumption, treating dependent individuals, and reintegrating them into society,” emphasized the deputy.

The spring parliamentary session will begin on February 2.

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The Mayor proposed the inclusion on the agenda of the CMC meeting of the projects regarding the appointment of deputy mayors, alongside the projects aiming at the dismissal of Angela Cutasevici and Olga Ursu, who were elected deputies following the elections on September 28.

The issues were introduced on the agenda with the vote of 28 councilors. The Action and Solidarity Party faction voted against. Thus, the councilors are to examine the appointment of the two deputy mayors.

According to the legislation, the deputy mayor is elected at the proposal of the general mayor by the decision of the Municipal Council adopted with the vote of the majority of the elected councilors. If the draft decision on the election to the position of deputy mayor of the proposed candidacy is excluded from the agenda at two consecutive meetings by the CMC or does not meet the necessary number of votes at two consecutive meetings, the general mayor appoints the deputy mayor by order, which is brought to the attention of the Council.

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