President Igor Dodon on January 16-18 made his first visit official visit abroad, to the Russian Federation. In the meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the Head of State made a number of statements that were described by Moldovan analysts as dangerous. Among these is the possibility that the Moldova-EU Association Agreement will be scraped after the 2018 legislative elections. Igor Dodon said this is the position of the Socialist parliamentary group, which is the largest, and he, as the President, will support it. He also said that the Transnistrian conflict can be settled in three years and transmitted a relevant roadmap to the Russian side. For his part, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin said the economic cooperation between the Russian Federation and Moldova will depend on the decisions taken by Chisinau in the process of association with the European Union. He noted that in the problem of migration, Moldova is ‘hostage’ to the relations of the Russian Federation with other states because a decision to lift the bans on entering Russia cannot be taken only in relation to Moldovans.
Moldovan analysts consider Igor Dodon returned to the harsh rhetoric that he used in the election campaign prior to last year’s presidential elections and in Moscow he showed himself to be an agent of Russia’s interests. Commentators also stated that his rhetoric forms part of the preparations for the legislative elections of 2018. Prime Minister Pavel Filip said the statements about the annulment or renegotiation of the Association Agreement signed by Moldova with the EU will have no impact because the European integration remains Moldova’s option. The President of Romania Klaus Iohannis also reacted, saying Romania will continue to support the Republic of Moldova in its European integration efforts, regardless of the statements made recently by Igor Dodon. The European Union also had a reaction, noting that the EU’s contacts with the Moldovan authorities are aimed at continuing the successful implementation of the Association Agreement, for the benefit of the Moldovan people.
On January 16, members of the Liberal parliamentary group announced they initiated the procedure for suspending President Igor Dodon from post. The Liberal leader Mihai Ghimpu said there are a number of reasons why they decided to initiate this procedure, but the fact that Igor Dodon congratulated the so-called “president of Transnistria” in Tighina town is the most serious of these. In reaction, the presidential administration, through the President’s spokesman Ion Ceban, in a response to the Liberal leader Mihai Ghimpu and all those who form part of the current government, said that President Igor Dodon is any time ready to appear before the people for political trial. According to the spokesman, Mihai Ghimpu’s statements are rather electoral than political in character.
President Igor Dodon on January 16 requested the Government to recall Moldova’s Ambassador in Bucharest Mihai Gribincea for the reason that he made impertinent comments that are incompatible with his status of diplomat. He made reference to a press report according to which Mihai Gribincea said Igor Dodon’s decree to withdraw the Moldovan nationality of former Romanian President Traian Basescu could be declared unconstitutional. The Government’s press service later announced that Prime Minister Pavel Filip will not grant such a request.
The teachers on January 17 started to protest and demanded that their salaries should be raised by at least 50%. They said there is no social equality when prosecutors, judges and other categories of budget-funded employees have pays that are much larger than teachers’ salaries. In the afternoon, the teachers announced that they suspend the protests for the period of the negotiations held with the Government.
The Special Representative of the Austrian OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the Transnistrian Settlement Process, Wolf Dietrich Heim, will visit Chisinau and Tiraspol between January 17 and 20. In the meeting with Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration and Chief Negotiator Gheorghe Balan, there were discussed the key subjects included in the Transnistrian conflict settlement agenda for 2017, namely ensuring of free movement on both sides of the Nistru River, activity of Moldovan-administered, Latin-script schools in the Transnistrian region and possibilities of reopening the bridge at Gura Bacului. Ambassador Heim reiterated the position that a comprehensive solution should be identified to the Transnistrian conflict, based on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova, with a special status agreed for the Transnistrian region. During Wolf Dietrich Heim’s visit to the Transnistrian region, Speaker of the so-called legislative body of Transnistria Alexander Shcherba voiced hope the involvement of the OSCE as a mediator in the Transnistrian conflict settlement talks in the 5+2 format will be successful. According to him, this format must remain a platform for solving the existing problems. First of all, conditions should be created for the free movement of people and goods so as to develop entrepreneurial activity.
On January 18, the Government decided that the scholarships will be indexed by 5%. Thus, the first-category scholarship for university students will be 800 lei, the second-category scholarship 680 lei, while the third-category scholarship 630 lei. The social scholarship will be 420 lei. The scholarships in technical secondary and post-secondary vocational education institutions will be 630 lei, 528 lei and 480 lei respectively, depending on the category. The social scholarship will be 365 lei. The scholarship for doctoral and postdoctoral students, resident doctors and secondary clinical doctors will oscillate between 1 050 and 1 205 lei. In higher education, the Republic’s Scholarship will be 1 385 lei, the President’s Scholarship 1 260 lei, while the Government’s Scholarship 1 112 lei. Two nominal scholarships are provided in technical vocational education. The President’s Scholarship will be 975 lei, while the Gaudeamus Scholarship 840 lei. The executive also decided that the young teaching specialists during the first three years of work will benefit from a reduction to 75% of the amount of work for the basic salary. Also, the lump-sum payment for young specialists will be increased from 30,000 lei to 45,000 lei. This payment for college graduates will rise to 36,000 lei, up from 24,000 at present.
On January 20, Prime Minister Pavel Filip presented a report on the first year of work of the Cabinet. He said 2016 was a difficult year that witnessed both accomplishments and failures and the latter ones need to be dealt with. He noted that the Government initiated profound reforms in 2016, increased the salaries and pensions. The prices of about 160 types of drugs were cut by 40%, while the allocations for compensated medicines were increased by 50% and the list of such medicines was supplemented by 67 names. About €500 million in foreign assistance intended for Moldova were unlocked in 2016. Another €350 million will be provided during the next few years. The economic grow was forecast at about 3.5% of the GDP, while the rate of inflation at 2.4%, which is the second lowest rate during the 25 years of independence.
Selection by Elena Nistor, IPN
