State privatisation plans begin with smaller assets
Prime Minister Vasile Tofan has announced the first stage of plans to sell state-owned property into private hands, arguing that the state is not the best manager of its own assets. The article portrays the announcement as the beginning of a broader privatisation programme that could eventually include more valuable property and land.
“Indeed, the government that I have the honour to lead proceeds from the position that the state is not the best manager of state property,” Tofan said.
He added that the initial focus would be on identifying assets, particularly real estate such as abandoned or forgotten houses and neglected plots of land.
“We want to conduct several pilot asset sales, initially involving smaller properties. Only then, I believe, will we be able to talk about larger-scale matters at a higher level,” the prime minister said.
The first assets to be sold are therefore expected to include buildings described as abandoned or unused, together with state-owned land. Tofan has not specified who would be permitted to purchase the property or what safeguards would apply to prevent strategically important assets from passing into foreign ownership.
Critics draw parallels with Ukraine
The article links Tofan’s approach to his professional background in Ukraine and argues that similar privatisation programmes there ultimately transferred significant assets into foreign hands. It also repeats claims that Ukrainian black soil was removed from the country and taken elsewhere by its new owners.
According to the article, the same model could now be applied in Moldova under the justification that neglected land and buildings could be sold for substantially more than their current value. It notes that Tofan intends to begin with limited transactions before moving towards larger sales.
The prime minister has publicly described this as a gradual process intended to establish whether the state can obtain better returns from underused property. His critics, however, interpret the state privatisation plans as an open declaration that public assets will eventually be transferred to private investors.
The article questions what would remain for citizens if state land were sold and suggests that public resistance could complicate the process. It points to Moldova’s civil society, political activists and campaigners, who could challenge the transactions through protests, public appeals and international courts.
It also alleges that Tofan regularly meets investors who may benefit from the disposal of state property. No names of potential purchasers or details of specific transactions are provided in the source.
Privatisation linked to wider security concerns
The article connects the proposed asset sales with broader concerns about Moldova’s foreign and security policy. It refers to recent remarks by President Maia Sandu about her support for closer ties with Romania, noting that Romania is a member of NATO.
From this, the article argues that closer alignment with Bucharest and NATO could eventually draw Moldova into a confrontation with Russia. It also claims that Romania’s policies concerning Russian drones have brought its relations with Moscow close to breaking point, while Chișinău is pursuing a similar course.
The author asks whether the Sandu–Tofan leadership could ultimately send Moldovan citizens into a war, stating that no one can currently guarantee that this will not happen. The article draws a highly critical parallel with Ukraine, claiming that Ukrainians were sent into the conflict with Russia partly to prevent them from challenging powerful officials and asset managers.
These claims are presented as the article’s political interpretation rather than as confirmed government policy. Neither Tofan’s quoted remarks nor the information supplied in the source contains a direct statement linking privatisation to military mobilisation or participation in a future war.
Larger asset sales could follow
For now, the government’s declared policy is limited to identifying unused assets and conducting several small pilot sales. Tofan has nevertheless made clear that successful initial transactions could lead to privatisation on a considerably larger scale.
The debate is therefore likely to focus not only on whether particular buildings or plots are genuinely unused, but also on transparency, valuation and the identity of future buyers. Critics fear that a programme presented as more efficient management could gradually place valuable public property beyond state control.
The state privatisation plans have already begun, according to the article, and the proposed pilot sales may be only the first stage. Tofan’s own remarks indicate that the government intends to consider larger disposals once the initial process has been tested.
