PRESS REVIEW // Reactions to the Kremlin's response to the departure of Russian diplomats and the social security deficit
Reactions to the Kremlin's response after the departure of Russian diplomats from Chisinau and the increasing deficit of the social security system - among the media topics Alla Ceapai reviews.
Several media outlets insert reactions to the Russian Federation's decision to impose an entry ban on 20 Moldovans, including 18 PAS deputies, in response to Chisinau's decision to reduce the number of diplomats and employees of the Russian Embassy. Newsmaker.md reviews the reactions of several PAS deputies concerned by Moscow's decision, but also sought the joint opinion of the ruling party. The Kremlin regime is responsible for the deterioration of relations between Moldova and Russia, by triggering the war in Ukraine and attempts to destabilize Moldova, commented PAS spokeswoman Adriana Vlas. Our position has been and remains firm: we condemn Russia's war in Ukraine and have no intention of visiting an aggressor state, she added. And Petru Macovei, director of the Independent Press Association, who is also targeted by the Kremlin's sanction, hinted that Moscow's decision is proof that the association he heads, which fights Russian propaganda, is on the right track.
Unimedia.info notes the reaction of the Foreign Ministry, which said that the Russian side's decision to respond was regrettable and that it was not the first time the Russian authorities had resorted to such measures. The Republic of Moldova remains firmly committed to countering destabilising actions. The Ministry reiterates that the decision to establish parity of diplomatic mission staff was taken following the multiple actions of the Russian Federation to involve itself in the internal affairs of the Republic of Moldova.
National Newspaper columnist Nicolae Negru writes that the departure of the Russian "diplomats" was a special, necessary, obligatory and highly symbolic moment. After the declarations of sovereignty and independence, it is one of the few acts that clearly confirm them, as it costs nothing to be sovereign and independent alongside Romania and the other European states, but it is risky to make these "claims" to Russia, which considers that the territories of the new post-Soviet states, including the Republic of Moldova, belong to it and that everyone is obliged to take this into account. Black admits that the spies who were forced to go home may have included diplomats. He stresses that the Russian Embassy's mission is not to strengthen relations with the Republic of Moldova, but to strengthen the fifth column, to prepare it, just as in Ukraine, to meet Russian tanks. Forty-five fewer Russian spies is what we can and are obliged to contribute to the victory of Ukrainians who are also fighting for our freedom, concludes the columnist.
Gazeta de Chisinau quotes former Minister of Labour and Social Protection Marcel Spătari, who notes that the deficit in the social security system has increased more than tenfold in the last six years, from 650 million in 2017 to 6.75 billion in 2023. One of the reasons for this significant increase in the deficit is that the average pension has risen by 53% in the last two years, while receipts to the Social Insurance Budget have cumulatively increased by only 30%. We are dealing with a 'scissors' effect - social security entitlements are rising while collections are stagnating, explains Spătari. According to him, the problem is long-standing and has many causes, including: low wages compared to other countries; the low share of the real sector in the economy; the continuing decline in employees' social security contributions; and the still high number of salaries paid - fully or partially - in envelopes. We lowered contributions to stimulate the economy, and now we are patching up the pension sack with money for education and roads, concludes Spătari.
TVR Moldova reports that after a break of almost three years, the General Assembly of Prosecutors is scheduled to meet on 23 August, where new members of the PSC prosecutors could be appointed. According to interim Prosecutor General Ion Munteanu, there are still dilemmas over the application of the new law on external evaluation of prosecutors and judges and there are intense discussions in the prosecution about what happens to candidates for whom there is no decision by the pre-vetting commission. Munteanu does not rule out a possible postponement of the meeting until the final decision on the candidates who have not passed the pre-vetting commission. Only candidates who have passed the external evaluation can take part in the competition for the Superior Council of Prosecutors. The pre-vetting committee gave the green light to 8 prosecutors out of 18 applicants. The new PSC will be composed of 10 members, five of whom will be elected by secret ballot by the general assembly. The Prosecutor General will join the PSC as an ex officio member. Four other seats will be filled by representatives of the Presidency, Parliament, Government and the Academy of Sciences of Moldova.
TV8.md reports that the four guarantors of former Democratic MP Vladimir Andronachi - two mayors, a former high school principal and the abbot of a monastery, do not risk any criminal liability should the controversial ex-politician evade prosecution or flee the country again. If this were to happen, those who "turned their cheek" for Vladimir Andronachi could at best be left without the money they offered as collateral, namely 22 thousand lei. They have pledged money and it will be confiscated, says Ion Munteanu, acting head of the Prosecutor General's Office. In his opinion, Vladimir Andronachi should have been remanded in custody, but the Prosecutor General's Office has no leverage to challenge the court's decision, which transferred the former MP from house arrest to the personal guarantee of four people.
In an opinion article on ipn.md, historian and commentator Anatol Țăranu notes that the cardinal solution for the continuity of the European course lies in the emergence on the Moldovan political scene of a unionist force, with a political programme of national reunification that is assumed and credible for the voters of the Romanian cause in the Republic of Moldova. In other words, in order to maintain the European course of the Republic of Moldova, a Euro-unionist National Electoral List is needed, which has become an emanation of a Convention of pro-Romanian political forces, capable of massively mobilising the unionist electoral segment for the forthcoming elections. This is the only way to create a strong and numerous Unionist faction in the future Parliament, which together with PAS will revive the pro-European government, capable of accelerating the integration of the Republic of Moldova into the EU by implementing the perfect Europenist project of Romanian national unity.
In an interview for the Nordnews.md portal in Balti, the president of Glodeni district, Ion Cojocari, says that the process of amalgamating the municipalities is tempting, but has not been thought through to the end. According to him, the central authorities have thought less about citizens, the problems they will face and the creation of all the necessary conditions before the process starts. It is clear that in one locality or another there will no longer be a town hall, but you can't take all the services out of there and tell people that from tomorrow they will go to another locality if you haven't developed the infrastructure, you don't have the road, the public transport to ensure they can get around, explains the official. He points out that amalgamation is tempting because the small localities that will merge will benefit from quite substantial additional financial allocations for road renovation, water supply, street lighting, children's playgrounds, kindergarten and school repairs. However, few municipalities have expressed their willingness to participate in this process, the district councillor notes.
TV Nord from Balti presents in a report the story of the only librarian in the district of Sargerei. Stefan Gorea, for eight years, has been working at the bookshelf in the public library of the village of Iezărenii Vechi. It all started with a passion for reading. As a child I was a passionate reader, I absorbed books. I used to read 250-300 pages in a day, the librarian recalls. When he got the idea to promote books, reading, i.e. the occupation he loves, he went to the former School of Cultural Enlightenment, the current College of Arts "Nicolaie Botgros" in Soroca, which he graduated to become a librarian. Even though most of his colleagues are women, this does not stop him from working and demonstrating that this work can also be done by men.
