VIDEO // President announces “general clean-up” in institutions: Preferential treatment and waste of public money unacceptable

The recent cases of abuses reported in public institutions have undermined citizens’ trust, President Maia Sandu stated during a press conference held on the morning of July 1 at the Presidential Administration. The head of state announced a broad package of measures regarding the reform of the way management positions are appointed, the management of state-owned enterprises, and the strengthening of control and integrity mechanisms.

“I know that everything we have managed to achieve so far was due to people’s trust. And I know that in these past days this trust has suffered greatly. What happened at MoldATSA, as well as other deviations from common sense, is incompatible with my values and with our goal of building European institutions,” the head of state declared.

Maia Sandu acknowledged that society’s reaction is justified and emphasized the need for swift interventions.

“I understand people’s anger. It is legitimate. And I am angry too, probably more than others. I want to be very clear: preferential treatment, unearned benefits, and the waste of public money are unacceptable,” the president stressed. At the same time, the head of state specified that she had no prior knowledge of the abuses under investigation, but that this does not diminish the gravity of the situation. “I want to tell you with complete sincerity that I did not know about these abuses. But this is not an excuse and it shows that what has happened represents a systemic error that requires immediate intervention,” Maia Sandu said.

Among the announced measures is a change in the way leaders of public institutions are appointed, with an emphasis on checking their integrity and professional experience.

“We need to rethink the way people are appointed to key positions. SIS and CNA opinions must become mandatory; all information about previous professional experience must be verified and recommendations from former employers must be obtained,” the president declared.

Another direction targets the reform of state-owned enterprises, including revising boards of directors and limiting the accumulation of multiple positions.

“We must ensure that one person can serve on only one board, not several, and that remuneration is properly regulated. Where there are exaggerated and unjustified amounts, they must be corrected,” Maia Sandu noted.

The president also called for the introduction of clear performance indicators for all state-owned enterprises, the periodic publication of financial and audit reports, and increased transparency in the management of public funds.

“For each state-owned enterprise, performance indicators, financial reports, external audit reports, and information on procurement must be published. We need total transparency,” Maia Sandu underlined.

Regarding the control of state assets, the head of state proposed reorganizing the Public Property Agency by separating enterprises with economic potential from unproductive or problematic assets.

“There must be a clear separation between companies with commercial potential and passive ones. This means that the Public Property Agency must be divided into two entities: one to develop viable assets and another to manage the rest of the property,” the president explained.

Maia Sandu also requested that oversight institutions investigate all possible cases of abuse, regardless of the individuals involved.

“Nothing can serve as a cover for justifying abuses. Any amount obtained without merit must be returned to the state, and those who have done wrong must be held accountable,” she said.

The president called for responsibility and integrity within the governing party and reaffirmed the country’s European objective.

“We have the obligation to lead the Republic of Moldova into the European Union. This road is too important to miss. We must fix all the breaches, clean up the institutions, and restore people’s trust in a fair and European state,” Maia Sandu concluded. The full statement was also published in video format on President Maia Sandu’s official Facebook page.