Hundreds of people gathered outside the headquarters of Moldova’s National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) on Monday, September 28, protesting against the latest increase in natural gas tariffs for household consumers.
The demonstration brought together representatives and supporters of opposition parties, as well as members of civil society. Protesters held banners criticizing the government over rising energy costs, including messages accusing the authorities of increasing tariffs while citizens bear the financial burden.
The protest took place as ANRE approved a new regulated natural gas tariff for household consumers, raising the price from 20.30 lei to 26.14 lei per cubic metre, including VAT.
The governing Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) responded to the demonstrations by acknowledging concerns over the impact of higher energy prices, while saying that the government’s main support measure would be compensation for vulnerable households.
“We understand people’s concern about the global energy shock. Many countries are facing this situation; it is a real energy crisis, and the impact on a small country without its own gas resources is even greater,” PAS said in a statement for Realitatea.md.
“We cannot control market shocks, but what we can do is provide compensation for the most vulnerable, continue investing in our energy security and be honest with people about what is happening globally,” the ruling party added.
PAS also criticized opposition parties for what it described as populist proposals.
“What we will not do is come up with impossible ‘solutions’ that are populist, as the opposition does – the same opposition that governed the country for years and failed to ensure the development of infrastructure capable of mitigating energy shocks for our country,” PAS said.
“Our solution is clear; theirs does not exist,” the party added.
The new gas tariff approved by ANRE represents an increase of 5.84 lei per cubic metre, or almost 30%, compared with the previous price.
The latest increase comes less than a month after the previous tariff adjustment. On September 1, the household gas price had risen from 14.42 lei to 20.30 lei per cubic metre.
The decision has prompted criticism from several political forces, which have accused the government and ANRE of placing an excessive financial burden on households.
At Monday’s protest, demonstrators carried various signs expressing opposition to the tariff increase and criticizing the government’s energy policy.
The authorities have argued that the higher tariffs are linked to developments on international energy markets and the increased cost of procuring natural gas, while the government says compensation mechanisms will be used to support households most affected by the increases.