Press review // Progress in the "Gorgan Scandal" and comments on possible increases in natural gas tariffs
The evolution of the "Gorgan Scandal", statements regarding possible increases in natural gas tariffs and supply interruptions in certain time intervals, as well as Russia's attempts to cause instability in the Republic of Moldova and undermine democracy. These are the main media headlines, reviewed.
The supposed "increases in the natural gas tariff and the suspension of the supply of natural gas in certain hours" would be falsehoods distributed with bad intent, claims the Ministry of Energy. The authorities announced that they notified the competent bodies in this regard, informs deschide.md. In this context, the Ministry of Energy urges citizens to get information exclusively from the institution's official communication channels.
The media informs about the case of the former Chief of Staff of the National Army, Igor Gorgan, who was charged with treason.. An investigation carried out by The Insider suggests that, after his dismissal from the position of Chief of the General Staff, General Gorgan would have requested the invasion of the Republic of Moldova by the Russians. The information would have been transmitted through a Russian agent, to whom Gorgan reported about the equipment of the army and about relations with Ukraine.
In an interview for Moldova 1 TV, the head of German diplomacy, Annalena Baerbock, emphasized that Vladimir Putin tried to destabilize the situation in the Republic of Moldova and undermine democracy, but Chisinau managed to face the challenges. The official reaffirmed Germany's commitment to support Moldova's European path, emphasizing at the same time the importance of the peaceful settlement of the Transnistrian dispute.
The WatchDog expert, Valeriu Paşa, draws attention to the increase in the amount of misinformation related to the October 20 referendum and the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union, reports jurnal.tv. According to him, the volume of fake news distributed today significantly exceeds what was recorded in the 2020 election campaign. Pasha emphasizes that the promoters of these lies underestimate the intelligence of Moldovans, and the elections are a test to evaluate the degree of trust of citizens in such fake statements . He compares the current situation to the disinformation during the pandemic and the previous election campaign, noting that neither of these contexts compares to the extent of disinformation in the current period.
Although the Republic of Moldova has become stronger in the fight against Russian disinformation, the country continues to be vulnerable, claims the Ambassador of the European Union to Moldova, Jānis Mažeiks, Radio Chisinau reports. Also, the head of the EU Partnership mission, Cosmin Dinescu, warned that our country is a testing ground for Russia's advanced information warfare tactics, intended to manipulate and divide society. In addition, the Minister of the Interior, Adrian Efros, stated that, in the context of the electoral campaign, the Republic of Moldova cannot alone manage external interference and illegal financing aimed at destabilizing society.
The Republic of Moldova has already missed numerous chances and opportunities, and now it can no longer afford to repeat the mistakes of the past, claims the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nicu Popescu, writes deschide.md. According to him, those who say that "it is not the time" to advance in the European integration process seem to pursue interests that do not align with the good of the citizens. Popescu emphasizes that saying "No" now means rejecting the accession to the European Union, but also giving up peace, prosperity and a secure future for the country.
The IPN agency published data on the average salary of women in the Republic of Moldova, which last year was 15.6% lower than that of men. The difference between the average salaries amounts to over 2,000 lei. Thus, the average gross monthly salary of women was 11,237 lei, while men recorded an average salary of 13,309 lei. In most economic fields, men earn better than women. The National Bureau of Statistics points out that the biggest differences are found in the information and communications sector, where the average salary for men is 38% higher than for women, followed by finance and insurance, with a difference of 34.6%, and health and social assistance, with 25.6%.
TVR Moldova published the statements of Ion Șalaru, the deputy director of the National Public Health Agency, regarding the quality of water in the Republic of Moldova. He pointed out that water quality varies depending on the source. The safest sources of water are found in urban areas and in certain villages that are connected to aqueducts from surface sources, such as the Nistru and Prut rivers. In rural areas, however, the problems are more acute, because the water mostly comes from underground sources, which do not comply with chemical standards, containing excessive chemical substances.
