On August 4, President Igor Dodon left for a new visit to Moscow, the second since the beginning of this month. Dodon’s departure takes place during farmers’ protests. Did Dodon go to Kozak to solve the farmers’ problems? After his first return from Moscow, Dodon said that Russia is ready to start renegotiating the €200 million loan for the budgetary needs of Moldova, including the needs of farmers, and that Moldova would receive the aid of 40,000-50,000 tons of diesel fuel in support of farmers. But when? 

Alexandru Slusari, Deputy of the Dignity and Truth Platform Party parliamentarian faction

Dodon’s new visit to Moscow bothers me less. The problem is not that he’s leaving. The problem is that we do not see results from these visits. I’m afraid the diesel case is just an election promise. It has been clear since April that there will be a drought. Why did he wait until August?

The autumn works start and it would have been good if this diesel had already reached its destination in this crisis situation. But Mr. Dodon wants the aid to probably come closer to the election, to speculate in electoral interest. It’s the same with the Russian loan. There is no movement, proof that the Credit Agreement was a thief’s deal which had nothing in common with the interests of Moldova in its first version. That’s the situation. What’s next? Farmers continue to protest for the time being.

Diana Crudu, Entrepreneur 

Farmers understand all too well. They understand that this aid is electoral fumigation. The works for the first cereal group must start in a few weeks, which means that this stock of diesel fuel should have reached Moldova, and the authorities may proceed to its distribution. For now, all remains at the level of statements. At the August 14 meeting with the largest producer associations, Prime Minister Ion Chicu did not seem too optimistic about this support for farmers. There is a need for urgent Government intervention. If farmers will not be sustained this extremely difficult year, then we risk compromising next year’s harvest, as they will not be able to work the land and the agricultural crisis risks spreading for many years to come.

Iurie Țap, a former deputy in the Parliament 

After almost 17 years since the failure of the Kozak plan, Russia has a chance to return in force, and the autumn presidential elections are the big stake … The current president’s victory would ensure another three years of a Socialist – Democratic Parties government, time to prepare the ground for the next parliamentary term (2023-2027) and not only … In this sense, the Russian credit, but also the humanitarian aid are the way Russia will get involve in Moldovan politics…Given the pro-Socialist Party holding media domination, the vertical of power and political control over the majority from the local public administration of levels one and two, Russia’s aid will be electoral speculation, even if the aid of European development partners in the last 10 years exceeds the amount of €3 billion…

Andrei Dânga, farmer, Ștefan-Vodă, the south of Moldova

We are in the election year and the donation has an electoral connotation. Although this aid does not save the situation, if it arrives it is very important to be distributed transparently, not according to political criteria, but to the needs of all those who have suffered from the drought and hail. That would be correct. Let’s see how it goes, for now, it’s too early to say something. The problem is that in all the years since independence, no government has taken the reform of agriculture seriously. We are late, and what happened this year is the result of incapacity and childishness of those who have governed and are governing Moldova. Moreover, we are not even heard. Since April we demanded the declaration of the exceptional situation in agriculture, but we alert in vain. We came to protest openly. And we will protest as long as the Parliament and the Government do not understand that we went out into the street because our patience is at an end.

• President Igor Dodon Announced the Issues He Discussed in Russia