Moldova's Independence Day: Celebrations and controversies
Independence Day of the Republic of Moldova and the political struggle of Russian forces to mislead citizens: Main topics covered by Victoria Colesnic
Flower laying ceremonies, visits from three heads of state, and three days of concerts will mark the 33rd anniversary of the Republic of Moldova’s independence. Moldova 1 presents the schedule of events planned for the capital, while Independence Day will be celebrated nationwide across all villages and cities. This year, the President’s message will be delivered via video due to President Maia Sandu contracting Covid. In her absence, congratulatory messages will be delivered by honorary guests, including the Presidents of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Details of the program and the list of artists performing today and tomorrow are available in the article.
In celebration of Independence Day, Ziarul Național features an editorial by Nicolae Negru, who argues that the Russian invasion and bombing of Ukraine should serve as a reminder of the significance of the freedom gained in 1991 and who continues to threaten our independence. According to Negru, it is only now that we are beginning to fully grasp Russia’s ongoing obsession with the restoration of the USSR. “The conclusions we must draw are that we need a plan and a strategy for our future, which we must implement ‘without any external interference, in line with the sacred ideals and aspirations of the people in their historical and ethnic space of national development,’” notes Nicolae Negru.
IPN reports that Moldova remains a divided society, with pro-Russian forces within the country, utilising substantial financial resources from abroad, particularly from Russia, engaged in a political struggle to mislead citizens. This statement comes from political analyst Igor Boțan. He points out that the greatest threat to Moldova comes from disinformation campaigns. The positive development is that the European Union has finally concluded that Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, and possibly Armenia should not remain in the grey zone, according to the expert.
Millions of lei have been spent promoting Kremlin narratives on Facebook, including those aimed at undermining the referendum on Moldova’s accession to the European Union. Ziarul Național has analysed a report by the WatchDog.MD community, highlighting that fugitive oligarchs Ilan Șor and Veaceslav Platon have spent approximately 136,000 euros, or over 2.6 million lei, in the past three months to promote falsehoods on social media. The primary “manipulative narratives” promoted are that the referendum is pointless or that the Government is exerting pressure on Gagauz Autonomy.
The authorities in Gagauz Autonomy are defying the central authorities. Newsmaker.md has obtained a document showing that the topic of the first lesson in schools in the region will differ from that in educational institutions across the country. The Ministry of Education issued a decision requiring that the first lesson of the 2024-2025 academic year in all educational institutions be dedicated to the topic of peace. However, the education department of the autonomy decided, contrary to the ministry’s order, that teachers should discuss with students the attainment of autonomy status for UTA Gagauz. Therefore, the first lesson of the new school year will be titled “Together for Peace: Gagauzia as an Example of Peaceful Conflict Resolution.”
TV8 reports a serious incident at the “GagauziyaLand” amusement park. A 10-year-old girl sustained a double leg fracture while playing on one of the park’s attractions. The child was rushed to Chișinău for medical treatment. According to the police, the opening of this children’s amusement park was not authorised by the relevant authorities. Law enforcement emphasises that the park’s administrators jeopardised the health and safety of minors by allowing them access to the premises. A criminal case has been initiated for “serious or moderate bodily harm or health damage caused by negligence,” with an investigation to establish all circumstances and hold those responsible for the child’s injuries accountable.
Dozens of children are being exploited through labour in the Republic of Moldova. Moldova 1 has reviewed official data, highlighting that since the beginning of this year, 169 children have been employed in the labour market. In 34 of these cases, employers failed to provide employment contracts. The majority of cases have been reported in Chișinău and Orhei. The exploitation of minors through labour is primarily due to extreme poverty and inadequate regulations, which compel families to send their children to work to survive. Ombudsman Vasile Coroi emphasises that in the Republic of Moldova, few parents and children are aware of their rights, and the concept of “labour exploitation” is unfamiliar to most citizens. Information on the solutions the authorities have for combating this phenomenon, as well as the penalties for exploiting minors through labour, can be found in the article.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
