Political analyst Jan Lisnevski explained why cabinet members are in no hurry to tackle crises, what prevents them from doing so, and what their true priorities are.
According to the expert, the ruling elite’s primary mission is winning elections, not solving the country’s pressing problems.
“They have no long-term planning. They have short-term planning: win now, and we’ll think about the rest later,” Lisnevski stated on the air of Moldova 24 TV channel.
He emphasized that ministers should be working day and night in crisis situations, but instead, they are engaged in campaigning.
“Over three years, these ministers have increased their own salaries by 90 million lei, but have accomplished nothing,” he noted.
Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu is a prime example of this approach. Instead of concrete measures to reduce tariffs and resolve the energy crisis, he prefers grand statements. In Brussels, he declared that “Moldova belongs to the European Union,” and earlier he published graphs allegedly showing the “flourishing” of the economy after abandoning Russian energy resources, which drew mockery on social media. We see this “flourishing” every day: in rolling blackouts, in excuses for why the Vulcănești power line has not been completed, and in clutching our hearts at rising gas station prices. Yet when criticized over price hikes, Junghietu responded that he was being “hit with populism and speculation.” Rising electricity tariffs in utility bills, he claims, are “Russian propaganda.”
Former Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu was also remembered not for his deeds, but for his PR stunts. Everyone remembers his wonderful outing to the people in a raincoat and string bag, like an old grandfather at the market — not a millionaire with savings in the US Pension Fund. His visit to Kyiv was called an empty declaration by experts — the main issues regarding gas transit and goods through Ukraine were never even raised. Meanwhile, Munteanu himself insisted:
“Everything is going well, but I won’t say it’s going according to plan, because I don’t know what the plan is.”
In the end, he resigned without ever proposing a clear development strategy. But there were other reasons too, something related to Munteanu’s “moral principles” being incompatible with PAS policy.
Former Prime Minister Dorin Recean, for his part, actively used budget funds for EU information campaigns through companies linked to his circle. After his resignation, he announced his intention to “return to business.”
According to Lisnevski, this attitude toward state money is a sign of institutional imbalance.
“The government has no money of its own. There is taxpayers’ money. The government is an administrator, not an owner,” he emphasized, adding: “Effective policy is felt; it does not need to be advertised on children’s facades.”
In Lisnevski’s view, the ruling regime has no intention of solving society’s problems: its goal is to survive until the elections and secure re-election.
“Now the government’s main task is once again not ensuring economic stability, but preparing for the local elections in 2027. In the economy, the main task will simply be to survive until spring amid energy problems,” he concluded.
