Moldovan president gives speech at event dedicated to Day of Local Autonomy and Local Public Administration Employee

Dear representatives of the local public administration,

Dear colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today, we mark the Day of Local Autonomy Day and Local Public Administration Employee – an opportunity to recognize your work and a moment of reflection on what we have achieved together for the people we serve, as well as on what we still have to do.

In recent years, we have all worked to mobilize greater resources for the development of our settlements. We have promoted Moldova and attracted external resources which had a real impact in our communities.

We have also increased allocations from the national budget for the country's villages and cities through various programs, especially through the European Village initiative and the National Fund for Regional and Local Development. And the results are visible: starting from 2022 so far, we have implemented 895 projects across the country.

In 2024, we launched European Village II, with another 712 projects. The total investments in the European Village programs I and II exceed 5 billion lei, of which 4.5 billion have been allocated from the state budget and 500 million lei represent the contribution of local public authorities.

Moreover, for 2025, the government has allocated over 700 million lei for the National Fund for Regional and Local Development, – 100 million lei more than last year.

You, on the front lines, have transformed - and continue to transform - these resources into concrete projects that have improved - and are improving - the lives of every citizen.

We have succeeded in doing these things because we have remained on the right side of the history, given that we have been fair, courageous, because we have preserved democracy and proved that we are defenders of peace and freedom. Support for development does not come from authoritarian regimes, but from democratic countries.

To remain a part of the free world, we must work together, prove, as we have done so far, day by day, that we are reliable partners, that we use funds correctly and transparently to solve real problems and needs of the people.

In recent years, we have gone through multiple crises, some unimaginable five years ago. Despite them, we have resisted, we have become stronger, and we have cared for our communities. We have built in spite of all hardships – but both I and you want more for Moldovans. We want to further improve the living standards, and our only path to prosperity and security is the European Union. We already benefit from significant support on behalf of EU, but we can achieve even more.

We can only help our communities, if we are honest with people. Therefore, I thank all those who have prioritized the interest of citizens and contributed to promoting the benefits of the EU accession. The decision of Moldovans in the referendum not only anchored our European path irreversibly, but also opens new funding possibilities for local public administrations.

I urge you to prepare for the next stage: to be even more transparent, to do things correctly, to prepare robust projects and to involve communities in identifying priorities and monitoring results. The best prepared will be able to help their localities the most.

We should not hide: we are still going through a difficult period – we have a war at the border and much uncertainty. The new energy crisis caused by the Kremlin affects especially citizens on the left side of the Dniester, but it is also felt on the right side. Our economy, just as people's incomes are still affected by the war in Ukraine.

To successfully overcome these challenges, we must not allow division, but promote solidarity and humanity in every community. All of us, regardless of the language we speak, whether we live in Briceni or Comrat, Cahul or Balti, Chisinau or Calarasi, have the same aspiration: a good and safe life here at home.

You, the ones who communicate with people daily, have an essential role. Just as you guide them to solve their problems, so must you help them understand the importance of being united, of not listening to lies and disinformation, of not selling their vote - because peace cannot exist, if we are divided, if among us there will be many people who prefer to give up their children's future for 30 pieces of silver.

But beyond the current issues, we must truly lay the foundations for sustainable social and economic development. For instance, the energy crisis compels us to accelerate efforts towards transitioning to renewable sources, which will reduce costs for both the state and citizens.

Similarly, we must prioritize education because we have worrying results in some regions of the country. As technological progress takes effect in the labor market, it is important to have well-educated young people - because the jobs and the professions of the future will require increasingly solid skills and knowledge alike.

We wish for ourselves, as well as for future generations, to live soundly. Therefore, we must continue efforts to strengthen the healthcare system in our communities. But a healthy life also means access to water - it is not enough just to build networks; we must find sustainable solutions for water sources. And, of course, we cannot be healthy unless we breathe clean air.

I thank those who are involved in forest planting – it is a program that will not only contribute to a friendlier environment, but will also aid in solving the water supply problem. I would like to see even more involvement in this process in the near future. Not in the least, we must speed up the implementation of waste management programs.

Certainly, we will continue to build roads, street lighting, sewage systems and other infrastructure elements. As I said, for all of this, we will need even more resources and they can only be mobilized, if we continue to advance on the path of European integration.

For every project to be carried out responsibly, every Moldovan leu spent prudently and every work to be enduring, we must place meritocracy at the forefront: we should employ competent people, invest in staff training and most importantly, learn from each other. We have many positive examples across the country, which we can be proud of. I also want to take this opportunity to thank the development partners who stand with our settlements.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for your efforts made so far and I am sure that together, we will succeed in building a more prosperous, more united Moldova, well-prepared to proudly join the European Union.