Moldovan Opposition Urges Government to Compensate Citizens for High Winter Energy Bills

Kishinev (Sputnik) - The Moldovan government should compensate its citizens for the high energy and heating bills they had to pay during winter, Marina Tauber, the vice-president of the Moldovan opposition Sor party, told Sputnik.

"In the winter period, citizens felt significantly burdened by increasing heating and electricity prices. That is why the government is urged to compensate citizens for heating and electricity as part of the protest 'Movement for the People.' We are convinced that the authorities have all necessary tools and finances for that," Tauber said.

The opposition politician added that, according to the government, the country had received one billion euros ($1.05 billion) from the EU over the past two years, with just part of this funding being enough to cover gas, heating and electricity bills for all three winter months.

Tauber also stated that her party had repeatedly put forward legislative proposals aimed at resolving social and economic issues, but these initiatives had been blocked by the ruling Action and Solidarity (PAS) party.

"Our legislative initiatives covered the issue of raising and indexing pensions and other social payments. But the PAS ignored all our draft laws, it is not communicating with the opposition. Inflation is now three times higher than pensions in the country, utility costs are immense," Tauber said.

Moldova is experiencing an energy crisis due to disrupted supplies and rising prices as the gas price increased almost seven times in 2022 and the electricity price fourfold. Last fall, the republic faced a record level of inflation, which affected many sectors of the economy.