Moldovan president's message on occasion of New Year 2022

Chisinau, 31 December /MOLDPRES/ - Dear friends,  

2021 has been a complicated year, but also a good year. It was a year of changes and challenges, a year when the citizens of our country proved resistance, maturity and wisdom, a year when the people re-became masters in their country.   

In 2021, Moldova’s citizens managed to remove from power an entire generation of corrupt politicians. Three or four years ago, a few people were able to imagine that this was possible. Today, the impossible is reality.  

These changes brought us fame in the world. Thus, after years of international isolation, we rebuilt relations of mutual confidence and respect with more countries of the world. We have re-established the good relations with the neighbours: Romania and Ukraine. We put Moldova on Europe’s map again. We started being respected.   

Many of those who came to politics only in order to enrich themselves left the public space. Some of them have the illusion that the changes made by the citizens represent only an accident and try, far from the country or at home, to hinder the reforms, to save their wealth accumulated through theft. Yet, they are fundamentally wrong. The people’s choice for a prosperous, just future, based on honest work, is irreversible.    

We have started the fight with the big corrupts – more slowly than we wanted and more difficult than we supposed. Nevertheless, the law-enforcement bodies started working. It is important that the inquiries are made correctly by prosecutors. Equally important is that the files are judged according to the law in courts. It is important that we advance in the justice reform, so that those who pronounce the rulings are good professionals and act in the public interest and in the spirit of the law.

This year, we found solutions to the Covid-19 pandemic. Shortly after the starting of the vaccination in the world, we managed to bring vaccine to Moldova as well, due to the assistance on behalf of Romania and other partners. Today, we have enough vaccines, in order to be protected from serious cases and to save lives. The death rate triggered by Covid is low in the countries with high vaccination rate. Therefore, I urge you to be vaccinated. In Moldova, the pandemic took more than 9,600 lives, each of them – a person dear to somebody. By getting vaccinated, we save our lives and the lives of the people around us.     

The 2021 year was a year with challenges. This year, we got in the turmoil of the increase in prices on the global market, especially for natural gas. We made sure once again how important the country’s energy security and efficiency is. In the next years, we will invest in projects on the diversification of energy sources and on enhancing the energy efficiency. I know that the increased invoiced for gas and heating are too high for the modest incomes of most citizens. The government allocated resources to partially compensate the increase in tariffs and attenuate their impact on the citizens’ pockets. This is not much, but this is a proof that the state must help its citizens in difficult situations. This is what we work for: to create a strong state, solidary with its citizens.    

Being guided by this thought, we increased in October the minimum pension for the full length of service up to 2,000 lei and we increased the pensions and allowances for several thousands of hundreds of people. The government increased the salaries for some categories of state’s employees. In the next years, we must finalize a system of motivating public employees, which is to allow us edifying a functional state, which works for people.  

Yet, Moldova can flourish only if it has a strong and robust economy. Therefore, we will work in the years to come to attract investments, create jobs and develop the infrastructure. The state should be a reliable partner of the business environment, help entrepreneurs and accomplish its ideas and enhance the country’s well-being.  

Dear citizens,

We are experiencing uncertain times. The entire world is going through major political, economic, social and technological changes. These changes bring with them new challenges and new opportunities. We must learn to use them for our benefit. And I am sure that we will succeed. During the history, we have proved that we can revive after terrible times. The repressions, deportations and famine did not manage to break our spirit. The migration from the last decades showed us that Moldovans can assert themselves in any conditions and in any country, through stubbornness and work. If we managed to overcome such difficulties as nation, we will manage to build our way further as well.

The biggest wealth of a country represents its people. Moldova must take care of its citizens, invest in people. We should prepare the next generations, to be adapted to a world in continuous change. We need visionary minds, which should lead us forward. The education, culture, science represent the key of a better future. By investing in these sectors, we invest in the well-being and good future of our children.

The climate changes hit us everybody, both the big the countries and the small ones. We must take care to preserve the nature and green our region.  

(Message in Russian) Friends, people represent the principal wealth of our country. And our main task is to ensure the well-being of all its citizens. To do so that each person can live with dignity in his/her country. Moldova is our common home and its prosperity depends on the efforts of each of us. The last year was not easy and we will still have to overcome hardships; yet, I am sure that we will overcome them. Together. Let us jointly build and strengthen our common home.    

In 2022, we will continue the project on reconstruction of the country. The renovation of our home, Republic of Moldova, needs much work. In all fields. And we must build it on a good, reliable foundation. We want to edify a state where the laws work, the public services are accessible and the people work honestly and can be proud of their labour. A state of solidarity, of prosperity, a state for people. It will not be easy.  It will not be as quickly as we want. Yet, by working jointly, we will manage to build together the home where both we and our children should live the moments of happiness.     

Amid changes and challenges, we should find time to be happy for each day lived. The happiness, love exists. And they are by our side and inside us. In simple things, in words which are to comfort the people by our side or who are far away, in the common sense, in the work carried out responsibly, in the care and small gestures of attention towards people.   

A Happy New Year, Republic of Moldova! A Good year!