VIDEO // Speaker - one year after parliamentary elections: We have made faster progress than ever on path to joining European Union

Speaker Igor Grosu reviewed the first year since the parliamentary elections of September 28, 2025, highlighting progress in the Republic of Moldova’s European path, investments in energy and infrastructure, education, the economy, and support measures for the population. According to the official, the period also saw government errors, which, he said, were corrected when identified.

According to the official, one year ago, citizens chose for the Republic of Moldova not to fall into Russia’s hands and to continue on its European path.


“Despite the difficulties, this path continues. Our objectives have remained the same: to build strong institutions, restart the economy, support people during the cold season, and strengthen the rule of law,” Grosu said.


He said that the government understands people’s concerns in recent months.


“The global energy shock is also our concern. The impact on our country is even greater, given the size of our economy and budget. Tariffs have increased for gas, electricity, and diesel. Conflicts in the Middle East continue, while Russia’s war increasingly endangers the safety of our citizens as well. Twice as many drones have violated our airspace compared with last year. The drought has led to lower water levels in the Dniester and reduced the generation capacity of power plants in other countries. We cannot control these things, but they place significant pressure on our families and economy. We will do everything we can to ease this shock. The government will provide heating compensation, while VAT and excise revenues will be targeted toward those most in need. At the same time, we must not allow difficulties to bring us down and must continue the important work started this year,” the speaker said.


Referring to European integration, Igor Grosu said that the Republic of Moldova had made progress in the process of joining the European Union.


“We have advanced faster than ever on the path to joining the European Union. We are the country with the highest reform-compliance score among all candidate countries, which has allowed us to open technical negotiations on all chapters and attract several tranches from the €1.9 billion Growth Plan,” Grosu said.


The official also mentioned the benefits that, in his view, closer ties with the European Union have brought, referring to joining SEPA, “roaming like at home,” participation in civilian and emergency assistance missions, and the “Creative Europe” program.


“Joining the EU is not only about prosperity. It is our chance to remain a free and secure state, and we have no right to miss this opportunity. We are already feeling the benefits of closer ties with the EU: joining SEPA, which means citizens and entrepreneurs no longer pay such high fees and have saved tens of millions of euros; permanent access to roaming; participation in civilian and emergency assistance missions; joining the ‘Creative Europe’ program; growth in tourism; and much more,” Igor Grosu said.


Regarding energy, the speaker highlighted the increase in renewable energy generation capacity.


“In just one year, 305 megawatts of renewable energy generation capacity were added, an increase of more than one-third, bringing the total to one gigawatt, along with more than 200 megawatts of electricity storage capacity. The more clean electricity we produce at home, the less dependent we are on external shocks,” Igor Grosu said.


According to him, the priorities for the coming period include expanding energy storage capacity, completing the Vulcănești–Chișinău power line, and building two more lines.

In infrastructure, Igor Grosu mentioned the completion of 305 local projects, with a total value of 990 million lei, as well as 160 local roads, worth 565 million lei.


“305 is not just a number. It means that, thanks to these projects, one community now has access to water. Someone has a repaired road, someone has access to a sewage system. This year, we also opened a 16-kilometer section of national road in Slobozia Mare. We secured funding for the first kilometers of motorway in Moldova’s history, and for the first time in many years, the railway returned to profit,” Grosu said.


In education, the Parliament speaker mentioned the increase in the number of young people admitted to university studies, a more than 40% increase in scholarships, and the employment of a large number of young specialists in schools and kindergartens.


“In 2026, the upward trend in the number of young people admitted to university studies continued, thanks to better study conditions and scholarships that were increased by more than 40%. This year also saw the highest number of young specialists hired in schools and kindergartens since 2018,” he said.


The official also said that €50 million had been approved for 20 more model schools, while investments of €80 million in vocational schools and colleges are planned by the end of the year.

In the economy, according to the balance sheet presented by Igor Grosu, exports increased by almost 12%, while industrial production grew by 7.1%. Tourism recorded a 25% increase.


“This is a sign that our country is becoming increasingly attractive to tourists. This is not only about the beauty of our country. It means people staying at guesthouses, visiting our restaurants, and buying our products,” Grosu said.


On social policies, the official mentioned compensation provided during the cold season to 620,000 households, representing approximately 1.2 million people. An annual payment of 3,000 lei was also introduced for 13,000 children with disabilities.

Igor Grosu also said that 18,000 citizens had been supported in finding employment, while the Labour Inspectorate had succeeded in placing more than 10,000 people who had been working illegally on official contracts.

In his speech, Grosu acknowledged that government errors had also occurred during the year.


“We did not ignore the errors that were identified. We acted firmly where mistakes were made and tried to correct things when we were told that we were not doing them properly. We care. We care when concerns are brought to our attention. We care about correcting what is wrong, and we care about remaining honest with the people,” Grosu said.


He said that the authorities would not protect corrupt individuals or those who use their positions for personal gain.


“We do not protect or make deals with corrupt people or those who derive personal benefits from the positions they hold. We want to get rid of them and, when we find out about them, we dismiss them. Sometimes we find out too late, sometimes we are given incorrect information, and sometimes we are puzzled because it seemed that we knew these people. We considered them decent and trusted them. In order to accelerate investment, provide professional governance, and strengthen implementation, we appointed a new government. Prime Minister Vasile Tofan has a clear plan to increase investment, accelerate the implementation of national projects, and optimize the central administration and state spending,” Igor Grosu said.


Referring to the economic and energy situation, the official said that the Republic of Moldova continues to be affected by external shocks.


“Unfortunately, the situation is not simple. International energy shocks and prices are affecting us severely. However, difficulties are not the greatest danger to a country; fears are. Those who lie, propose impossible solutions, change their views with the wind, present themselves sometimes as pro-European and sometimes as unionists, but work precisely against the European path and receive money from Moscow,” Grosu said.


The official also said that the authorities would continue the projects already started and would focus on accelerating investments and optimizing public administration.


“However, responsible administration of a country is achieved through actions, difficult decisions, and serious governance, not through scandals and populism. Moldova must move forward, and we will continue working in this direction,” the Parliament speaker added.


A total of 1,609,579 voters participated in the parliamentary elections held on September 28, 2025, with a turnout of 52.24%. Following the elections, five electoral competitors passed the electoral threshold and won seats in Parliament: the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) – 55 seats; the Electoral Bloc “Patriotic Bloc of Socialists, Communists, the Heart and the Future of Moldova” – 26 seats; the “ALTERNATIVE” Electoral Bloc – 8 seats; Our Party – 6 seats; and the “Democracy at Home” Party – 6 seats.