Moldovan president's message in parliament

Dear citizens, dear MPs, dear media representatives and guests of the Parliament,

We are living in a period where the international order we once knew and relied upon is undergoing profound change. Globally, we are witnessing more and more conflicts - military, diplomatic and commercial. In our region, for three years, Russia has been waging an unjust and brutal war against Ukraine.

The citizens of the Republic of Moldova, both those at home and those living abroad, feel great anxiety about the changes taking place. These changes affect not only budgets but also the souls of people. Our faith in a just world, based on rules and respect, a stable and predictable world, is severely shaken.

We all have the same questions. What future does Moldova have in this world? What can we do to shield our country in a way that ensures peace and prosperity? How do these changes affect our families? What will tomorrow bring? People are worried and expect answers from us. As President, in moments of unrest, it is my duty to come before you and share how I see the current situation and what I believe we must do in the coming period.

As a country, we have many aspirations, many issues to resolve - improving living conditions, completing justice reform, repairing roads, hospitals, kindergartens, cultural centers, providing jobs, and raising pensions. Sometimes, because we have so much to solve, we forget what is most important. The most important thing we need to do is to preserve peace and freedom.

To preserve peace because life is the most precious thing. And to preserve freedom because we want to live with dignity, knowing that no one will come to take us from our homes in the middle of the night to send us into icy Siberia, that our young people will not be thrown into jails for having an opinion, that no one will close our borders and isolate us from the rest of the world. That's what living in freedom means.

Dear citizens, I urge you, when we look at how much we have to do, to remember what we all desire above all else. Despite internal contradictions, grievances, and differences, to follow a common path that will ensure three important things: 1. peace and safety for our families, 2. national stability and unity, 3. economic development and prosperity.

There is no doubt - we can ensure peace and freedom more easily once we join the European Union. There we will be protected - in a great, loving family. Therefore, we must continue to work day and night to join the EU as soon as possible. Not in 10-20 years, but in the next 4 years. It will not be easy, but it is not impossible. Until then, however, we can protect peace and freedom only through external solidarity and internal unity.

It may seem natural, but that doesn't mean it is guaranteed. Since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the question that haunts us day and night is how do we ensure Moldova's security? How do we protect our people from the destruction of war?

Moldova is a small country, with a foreign army on its territory. To be clear, I am referring to the illegal stationing of Russian military contingent in the Transnistrian region - a flagrant violation of our status as a neutral country. The presence of the Russian army on our soil poses risks of destabilization, especially in the context of the war in Ukraine.

The fourth Easter is approaching, which our Ukrainian neighbors will spend under the threat of weapons. We all want and pray for a just, durable peace agreement to be reached as soon as possible. But, regardless of whether peace is signed this year or not, Ukraine will continue to resist, with firm support from countries that want to restore peace on our continent. Ukraine will continue to be our shield, and we have a moral duty not to allow Moldova to be used against Ukraine, not to allow our country to be drawn into the war.

In this new global context, we need strong international relations, friends who will help and protect us. In recent years, we have managed to create an international system of support and aid for the Republic of Moldova, which we must maintain and strengthen.

Today we are more known and respected in the world than ever before, even though our economic power is still small. We are respected because we are well-intentioned, because we are honest, because we make genuine efforts to move the country forward. We are also appreciated thanks to the image of Moldovans working abroad, who do their work honestly and are respectful and well-integrated into the societies they live in.

We are known and appreciated also for the quality of our products exported to more and more countries. We are respected because we are brave. We have succeeded together to get here - Moldova is not alone in these tumultuous times.

The results of our active foreign policy in recent years are concrete and recognized:

- We have obtained candidate status for the European Union and initiated accession negotiations. Five years ago, there were voices that said these things were impossible, but together, we succeeded.

- We hosted the European Political Community Meeting, where, for the first time, the leaders of 45 countries from the continent came to Moldova, sending a clear message that our country has friends and is appreciated internationally.

- The strategic partnership with Romania is stronger than ever - Bucharest has become our number one commercial partner, our staunch advocate in the EU, and we have initiated major joint projects - the construction of power lines, new bridges.

- We have maintained a consistent and correct position towards Ukraine, have remained on the side of good, and have awakened a wave of sympathy at the international level due to the unprecedented generosity of people towards refugees.

I ask you to protect what we have achieved. As President, I will make every effort to ensure that Moldova continues to enjoy strong international support for independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

External solidarity helps us only if we manage to ensure internal unity. Especially in turbulent times, attempts are made to divide people, scare and manipulate them. Hate speech is becoming stronger. And not just in Moldova. Hate speech solves no problem, but is the source of many problems. The power to protect ourselves from hate is in our hands. Let us listen, hear, and respect each other. We live on the same land, we have the same aspirations. We all want our families to be safe, we all want good work opportunities at home. We will all live well only if Moldova is doing well.

It is no secret that our country is the target of colossal destabilization efforts, funded with huge sums, aimed at provoking internal conflicts. Pawns of these schemes are also in the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova. We have all seen that, in Moldova, there are also people ready to harm their neighbors, relations, and ultimately, their children. How else to explain their actions to undermine the state in which they also live, as well as their children, neighbors, and relations? How to explain the desire to dismantle democracy? Or influencing justice to protect corruption?

When I received my first mandate, the country's biggest problems were internal: massive corruption, the embezzlement of the state and state enterprises, Moldova's international isolation. All of these motivated citizens back then to decide that the country needs change. Today Moldova is no longer isolated, on the contrary - it is a respected and aided state, the budget is no longer stolen by those who lead the country, rather - we are bringing money to the budget, and we are waging a real and consistent fight against corruption.

However, many things have changed on an international level since 2020. The world has become a more dangerous, unpredictable, and unstable place. But we faced the problems together. And we will succeed now as well. Our task in this storm is to maintain internal stability. In this sense, I am making an appeal to parliamentary and extra-parliamentary political parties: act with responsibility and wisdom. Stop the hate speech and divisiveness. Nothing justifies destabilizing the country and endangering people's safety.

We see attempts to use Gagauz autonomy for destabilization purposes. A criminal group is desperately trying to take full control over the region. Gagauz autonomy must be led by Gagauz in the interest of the community they represent, not in the interest of thieves. Autonomy was created to ensure the preservation of the language, culture, and traditions of the Gagauz people. And that must be the concern of those who have reached positions of responsibility. And the well-being of the inhabitants of the autonomy depends on the well-being of the country. The more united, the more stable the country will be, the greater the chances of economic development for all. I will continue to mobilize resources for investments in localities and enterprises in autonomy and will continue to act to help save the Gagauz language and culture.

Over the past four years, we have acted responsibly and with good faith in managing the Transnistrian conflict. Despite many challenges, we have managed to maintain peace and stability in the region. And this winter, Moldovans clearly saw what happens to those used by Russia. Despite a valid contract and alternative delivery routes, people in the Transnistrian region were cut off from heat and energy and kept in cold and darkness. Could this situation have been avoided? Yes. Why did Gazprom stop deliveries to the Transnistrian region? Because Russia wanted the destabilization of Moldova.

On the right bank of the Dniester, in recent years, we have eliminated Russian blackmail, made our own gas reserves, and provided people with heat and energy. We have become immune to energy blackmail. And then the blow was directed against the people on the left bank. The authors of this crisis hoped the region would face a humanitarian catastrophe, and Moldova would be overwhelmed by the situation. Their plan failed. We found solutions. We provided assistance. We also overcame this crisis.

But the most serious and shameful thing that has happened recently and endangered not only stability but also Moldova's sovereignty is the buying of votes. Especially in last year's elections and referendum, we faced an unprecedented situation when forces foreign to our country's interests tried to decide for Moldova, instead of Moldovans.

In this room, all MPs know well who, how, and with what money stole the people's vote. You will say that state institutions must protect us from these situations. Agreed, but we must be honest: we have a state that is still not strong. It is painful to admit this about your country, but we cannot hide from the truth.

As a guarantor of the state's sovereignty, I demand you publicly condemn these vote-buying practices, endangering state democracy and sovereignty, and warn your supporters, the people you interact with, about the dangers to the country and the penalties they face for selling their vote. Every silence is complicity to stealing this country's future.

Parliamentary elections are coming. State institutions must make every effort to ensure free and fair elections. Justice must primarily punish those who organize vote-buying. Those attempting to buy power in Moldova want to use our country in the war against Ukraine. And they use local pawns who do not think at all about the people's well-being.

Citizens of Moldova must decide for Moldova; they must decide the country's future. And citizens want a peaceful future for their country and their children. The biggest mistake of some foreign forces and some politicians here is not valuing people. I trust that people know what is best for them and Moldova. We will keep external support and stay on the European path only if we keep Moldova on the side of peace. Our chance is for all of us to work in the same direction. And the direction is clear.

Besides peace and safety, another major concern of people is income, prices, and jobs. Economically, the Republic of Moldova is the most affected country after Ukraine. Because of the war, we lost access to the Ukrainian Black Sea ports. To perform the same import or export operations, our companies now incur much higher expenses. The global crisis of energy resource prices, along with the traditional supplier's blackmail, caused chain price increases and decreased our products' competitiveness. But perhaps most seriously, the war in the neighboring country discouraged investments in Moldova and caused many people to go abroad in search of safety.

Beyond regional economic problems, these days we see that the international trade system is going through uncertain times. A potential decline in international trade and global economic instability pose real risks to us too. These changes will affect our main commercial partners and the host countries of the Moldovan diaspora and will have repercussions for the Republic of Moldova's economy.

Our advantage in the current situation is open access to the European Union market. It is crucial for businesspeople, farmers, and exporters to maintain this market, the largest in the world, offering major opportunities for Moldovan companies. Moldovan exports to the European Union account for 67% of the total. Unlike other small countries, we have this guarantee - that despite all trade wars, we can benefit from free access to the European Union market.

Another strong advantage we have in the face of economic challenges is that Moldova will start benefiting from pre-accession funds. The growth plan for Moldova, involving 1.9 billion euros in support from the European Union, is just the beginning. These funds will finance transport, energy, services, industry, and agriculture projects. These projects mean opportunities for companies and salaries for employees.

Being a small country, we can develop quickly if we have the necessary investments. I know people sometimes feel the hardships never end. But, imagine we are now laying the foundation of a house. We have not yet reached where we want to be, but we are building a sturdy foundation. It will take time until our house looks as we wish. It requires work and time. And we will succeed only if we stay on the European path. If we abandon this path, we destroy the chance of the prosperity we have worked hard for.

Having financial resources is very important, but it is not enough; what we do with these resources also matters. We need to invest in innovation, in education; we need to nurture the best specialists. We must advance to a higher level of sophistication and competitiveness of our products, products with high added value, bringing profit to Moldova and jobs paid like in the EU. We must necessarily transform agriculture, adjusting to new climate conditions.

What valuable and unique can Moldova offer to the world? That is a question we each must ask, both in the private and public sectors. I am sure that farmers, wine and food producers, IT specialists, and businesspeople in various fields have the power to find solutions to overcome challenges and seize every opportunity to bring development to Moldova. And I am sure these people understand very well that the European Union, with the funds it provides, agricultural subsidies, opening global markets, and creating an attractive environment for investment, is the best option for our country.

In the last four years, Moldova has had a government that resolved crises. It was a period in which state property was recovered, not embezzled. Our actions were focused on justice and growth - not on fraudulent schemes. A new generation of politicians has entered politics, who, with good and bad, have no connection with past criminal practices, do not operate with tricks, bags of money, and lies. Moldovans today no longer witness the buying and selling of MPs as at a marketplace.

The opposition accuses that prices have risen in Moldova, but this is a phenomenon that has occurred in Great Britain, Italy, Russia, or Turkey. In the face of global inflation challenges, the best I and the governing team could do was to mobilize resources to increase pensions, salaries in the public sector, and allowances. Today a family receives 20,000 lei at the birth of a child - an allowance similar to those in the European Union. The average pension increased from 2255 lei in April 2021 to 4407 lei in April 2025. The minimum pension was 1188 lei. From April this year, it is 3055 lei. I will continue to mobilize resources so that people who have worked their whole lives for our country can enjoy life and afford necessities.

The average salary in the economy was below 8000 lei in 2020, now it is close to 16,000 lei. I know we have a large disparity between certain sectors where salaries have risen rapidly and others where they have seen modest growth. In the IT industry, construction, logistics, employers find it hard to hire at 20,000 lei a month. In this regard, the role of the state is to intervene with aid where incomes are low and offer possibilities for retraining and reorientation so that people can take better-paying jobs.

We have invested in schools, hospitals, and roads as not invested for decades. And this is visibly evident. Bridges, renovations, construction sites, model schools, universities equipped with laboratories - that means Moldova is moving forward.

Speaking of concerns, I must mention judicial reform. There are many voices criticizing this reform. I acknowledge that my expectations regarding the reform results were higher. At the same time, I believe we have taken important steps to have independent justice that delivers justice. There are no magic solutions to fix long-standing faulty justice, you can't do it in a day or a year. But there are actions that can take us there. And we have acted precisely in that way.

In the last four years, 140 judges have left the judicial system. I'm not saying all had integrity issues, but most did. A hundred judges left in 2023-2024, during which an extraordinary external evaluation took place. The system's cleansing continues, and next is the Prosecutor's Office. State institutions are becoming stronger in defending national interest.

Shor is definitively convicted and fled to Moscow, Plahotniuc is sought internationally through Interpol. The state has stopped embezzlement schemes and managed to return properties stolen by oligarchs. An example is Chisinau International Airport, which was returned to the state and recorded a record number of passengers and revenues in 2024, which will be invested in infrastructure expansion.

There are certain results. At the same time, we still see court decisions that are inexplicable. We see situations where important cases are stalled on prosecutors' desks. Trust in justice still needs rebuilding.

In this context, the question remains open, and citizens this year will have to decide whether we as a society continue the fight for justice or give up and return to the previous situation where politicians and corrupt in justice were one team.

Dear citizens, we have discussed so far about complicated but important things, about hardships and actions. But the most important of all is our trust in ourselves.

I know each day brings waves of alarming news, harsh comments, rumors that scare us. Unfortunately, that's how many social networks and televisions function - keeping us captive in fear. Those who do not wish us well have wanted this for years - to make us afraid, to discourage or disgust us. To make us doubt ourselves. But we have national unity and external solidarity in the face of fear, the will to move forward in the face of fatigue. In the face of hatred they want to sow among us, we have love for our neighbor and our country.

Looking back, we see that many of the fears that pursued us did not materialize. Moldova has gone through harsh winters with its head held high - we had light and warmth. We remained a peaceful country. We helped our people, including those on the left bank. Even if it's hard, the economy moves forward. People work, create, build. Every entrepreneur, every employee, every official who does their job responsibly - lays a brick for our future. We have peace. We have friends around us. We are on the path to joining the European Union. It's only the beginning. Moldova has the chance to grow, modernize, keep its identity, and offer its citizens a dignified life here at home.

We live in turbulent times globally. But we have two treasures: people's unity and the support of those who wish us well. Moldova has real grounds for hope. I believe in Moldova. I know we will achieve what we desire - a protected, prosperous, clean, and joyful country.

Dear citizens, MPs, in a few days we will celebrate Easter Holidays. It is a time of forgiveness, resurrection, and joy, to fill ourselves with light. Let's put aside misunderstandings, open our hearts, and help those in need, and Moldova as a whole, to gain hope so necessary for all of us.

Thank you!