During a live broadcast on his Facebook page, the PAS Vice President Lilian Carp sharply criticized Mayor Ion Ceban of Chisinau for politically exploiting and manipulating public opinion over the recent ecological crisis on the Dniester River. Carp said the oil spill in the river directly resulted from a Russian Federation bombardment on Ukrainian territory—a fact Ceban is attempting to distort through manipulation.
Carp pointed to the mayor’s sudden shifts in discourse and what he called cynical, image-driven actions. While Ceban initially acknowledged the problem, he later engaged in populist gestures, such as drinking a glass of water in front of cameras to “test” its quality. When the Ministry of Environment declared a state of alert due to the oil slick and intervened with absorbent materials provided by Romania, Ceban instead filmed himself delivering water to residents of Balti, who had already received substantial aid from the City Hall of Iasi.
Carp also denounced Ceban’s latest manipulation: the false claim that central authorities artificially created the Dniester crisis to distract the public from rising fuel prices.
In conclusion, Carp warned that Ceban’s actions exceed the bounds of normal populist politics, describing them as serious falsehoods aimed at manipulating society. He reminded the public that the Mayor of Chisinau is banned from entering the European Union, highlighting what he called a real risk of manipulation and disinformation for Moldovan society.