Good start for October.  In Moldova, the most impoverished state in Europe, pensioners are rolling in benefits. On October 1, on the Elderly’s Day, the Moldovan authorities addressed public congratulations to the majority of the Moldovan population, which are the elderly. Why not? It’s a holiday to be old in this state! The pensioner wakes up in the morning, and life is a continuous celebration. Just out of boredom, he or she has a few small worries: how to pay the bills to prevent a power cut, how to be the first in the morning to get a cheap bread at a local store, how to carry water while the back hurts, how to fix shoes that break quickly, money to buy blood pressure medications as they are only partially compensated, how to distribute the pension for both bills and medications, so they can save money for food.  

I said that October came with good surprises for retirees. The authorities decided now, when the election campaign started, to index-increase pensions. Is that precisely what the Government decided? Well, it was not Prime Minister Chicu who decided, but President Dodon himself. The electoral candidate, said it on TV, after which the Government took note! The pensions have increased by 1.07 percent, starting with October, the last month of Igor Dodon’s presidency!

Is the pension increase by 1.07 percent a lot? If the monthly pension were 100 euros, a pensioner would receive an addition of one euro. Igor Dodon reported a monthly salary of over 1,000 euros (18,000 lei) for last year. Or the Head of the Parliament, Zinaida Greceanii, retired, with a monthly pension of over 500 euros (11,000 lei). Beyond the Parliament or the presidency building, pensioners’ incomes are different. The allowances of ordinary people are up to 60 euros (1200 lei).

“But others don’t give us that either. It’s good that Dodon introduced the increase!” replied some pensioners who reached the poverty line. However, this is not the president’s prerogative. Either it’s not the president’s money. It is not the president who decides the state budget. 

1.07 percent is an electoral trick, as this percentage is taken from the state budget, from the citizens’ taxes, and less from the presidential family’s budget. Dodon, in his four years in office, could have had an enormous and positive impact on completing the state account. He took office with strong statements about fighting corruption, which has disappeared and is no longer found in the current election promises. He could have created a climate for the judiciary and the prosecutor’s office to become autonomous and active. 

If young people leave the country, there will be no one to contribute to pensions. Let the corrupt people leave. Think about who they are and decide if they deserve at least 1.07% of the vote.