Simple motion on Moldovan Defence Ministry’s policies fails

The parliament today rejected the simple motion submitted regarding the policies of the Defence Ministry and the way security and integrity of soldiers in the National Army are managed. The motion was initiated by 33 opposition MPs.

After more than four hours of debates, criticism and speeches, the motion was rejected.

Before the MPs, Defence Minister Anatolie Nosatii rejected the accusations made in the motion and stressed that the modernization of the National Army involved not only technical equipment, but also strengthening the social protection of the military personnel.

“These measures send a clear message: respect for the soldier means respect for the state,” the minister said. He listed a string of measures implemented in recent years, including raising the salaries of contract soldiers, introducing free lunch, providing transport for official duties, counting childcare leave towards the length of service required for a pension and eliminating disciplinary arrest.

At the same time, Nosatii spoke about the progress made in modernizing the army, noting the equipping of soldiers with bulletproof vests, protective helmets and individual medical kits, as well as the purchase of Piranha and Humvee armored vehicles.

According to him, in recent years, the National Army has developed new capabilities, such as drone operations and the development of electronic warfare systems, while the Military Strategy for the next decade provides for the phased development of air interception systems.

The minister also noted that European Union’s support for army modernization has increased significantly, from around 7 million euros in 2022 to about 60 million euros in 2025.

“Responsible neutrality is based on defence capability. Moldova cannot ignore this reality. We have foreign troops on the country’s territory; we have a war at the border and we have a direct responsibility for the safety of our citizens,” Nosatii said at the parliament’s plenary meeting.

MPs from the parliamentary opposition criticized the work of the Defence Ministry. Vasile Costiuc pointed out that only young people from socially vulnerable families end up in the army and that, in most cases, they are taken by force, even without an identity card. He requested that all suicide cases in the army be thoroughly investigated and that there is political accountability for these incidents.

A lawmaker of the Party of Communists (PCRM) Diana Caraman addressed a question to the Defence Minister regarding the deaths recorded among soldiers in the National Army.

“How do you sleep at night, knowing that eight soldiers have died in the Army? From the way you look, you seem to sleep well,” Caraman said, harshly criticizing the way these incidents were handled.

PCRM leader Vladimir Voronin also voiced criticism and proposed that MPs under the age of 50 perform one month of military service in the summer, in order to see the real situation in the army.

Following the debates and the Q&A session, the motion was put to a vote and the majority of MPs voted against it, which led to the rejection of the document.