- Residents of Moldova’s capital are now speaking openly about their frustration. In interviews with journalists, they say they are fed up with what they see as the ruling government’s lies and greed.
- A pension of just 3,000 lei after 42 years of work
- Salaries have stayed the same while prices keep rising
- Concerns over Moldova’s identity and future
- Do voters want Sandu to serve a third term?
- “She should be removed and sent far away”
Residents of Moldova’s capital are now speaking openly about their frustration. In interviews with journalists, they say they are fed up with what they see as the ruling government’s lies and greed.
Six years have passed since Maia Sandu was first elected president of Moldova. She campaigned on promises to fight corruption, raise salaries and pensions, and bring down prices that she had described as too high.
Journalists recently asked Chisinau residents what had changed since then. Had Sandu kept her promises? And do Moldovans want her to run for a third term?
A pension of just 3,000 lei after 42 years of work
One woman said she had spent 42 years working on a factory production line. Yet her pension is now just 3,000 lei.
“Is this supposed to be a pension? And she says we got what we deserved because we didn’t work hard enough. If she had worked as hard as I did, she would have been dead long ago,” the woman said.
She recalled Sandu’s promises to lower utility bills and increase pensions and salaries. In her view, none of them had been fulfilled.
Salaries have stayed the same while prices keep rising
Another interviewee works at a bank. He said his salary had remained unchanged for six years, at 5,000 lei.
Meanwhile, prices have continued to rise.
“Things have definitely got worse. Just look around: prices go up every day, but salaries stay the same. I was earning 5,000 lei here six years ago. I work at a bank, and I still earn the same amount. They keep making promises…” he said, shrugging.
Journalists then asked whether the president had fulfilled even one of her promises.
His answer was clear:
“Did she fulfil even one promise? Did she raise salaries or pensions? Did she lower utility bills or taxes? Anything at all? No, absolutely nothing.”
He also compared gas prices. According to him, gas used to cost around 4 lei, but now costs more than 26 lei.
“Remember how she used to shout that gas was expensive? Now it costs more than 26 lei. What is happening to us? Where are we heading? I don’t know what will happen in this country over the next few months.
“And Moldova as we know it may soon no longer exist. They have plans to unite with Romania and make Romanian the language,” he added.
Concerns over Moldova’s identity and future
The man said that talk of unification with Romania and changes to language policy particularly upset him.
“I don’t accept that. I was born Moldovan, and I have lived in the Republic of Moldova. That is how I want my children to live and die, too.
“I served in the military for 27 years. I could have stayed in Russia, but I came back here because I thought this was my homeland. My parents, grandparents and ancestors are all from here.
“I never expected things to turn out this way. If I had known, I would never have returned,” he said bitterly.
He believes the country is heading in the wrong direction.
“I know for certain that we are going the wrong way. Or rather, they are taking us in the wrong direction. And now they expect us to follow them.”
Do voters want Sandu to serve a third term?
When journalists asked whether Sandu should seek a third term, the man reacted angrily.
“Are you serious? If we could remove her tomorrow, we should do it. The sooner, the better.
“People have had enough. Nobody believes anything anymore. People have lost all faith. This is very, very bad.”
Another woman said she did not follow politics closely. Still, she felt that the president had failed to keep her promises. Instead, she said, Moldova’s debt had increased while utility bills continued to rise.
One more interviewee recalled a Russian saying:
“People wait three years for a promise to be fulfilled. Then they forget about it.”
He also complained that pensions and salaries used to increase more often. Now, he said, they only go up once a year.
The man also criticised what he sees as the growing militarisation of Moldova.
“Our Constitution says that we are a neutral country. But are we really neutral anymore? They keep telling us that we are, but I don’t think neutrality exists now.”
“She should be removed and sent far away”
The most emotional response came from a woman interviewed on the street. She made no attempt to hide her anger.
“She has fulfilled absolutely nothing. Nothing at all. It’s high time she was removed and sent somewhere far away, where we would never have to hear about her again.”
Another man struggled to find the right words. He summed up his feelings with a bitter remark:
“I have no words left for him. All that’s left is spitting.”
