The parliamentary majority and the opposition should act in unity on issues related to culture, education, youth, and sports, said Renato Usatii, chairman of the parliamentary faction of Our Party, during a plenary session of Parliament.
“Only a few months have passed since we have been here, but I see the same system. When there are elections, schools are not closed and tough reforms are not carried out, because every government tries not to upset the electorate. Maybe we should ask for elections to be held this year as well, so that schools will not be closed?!” Usatii said.
The leader of Our Party described the speech of the Minister of Education and Research as “solid” and well-argued, but criticized the lack of prior dialogue with the opposition before presenting the reform package.
“At least listen to us — maybe we also have a good initiative,” he stressed.
Usatii underlined the need for better linguistic integration of citizens already living in the Republic of Moldova. He pointed out that in many localities, including in the north of the country and in Gagauzia, students do not have sufficient opportunities to properly study the state language.
Regarding the reorganization of schools, he called for collective decisions based on serious demographic assessments rather than solely on numerical criteria.
“Today we are closing schools and looking only at figures. Dear people, we need to stop,” Renato Usatii said, citing his native village, Rediul Mare, as an example of a locality with economic and historical potential.
The MP also referred to a draft law proposed by Our Party that would allocate 5 percent of excise duties on alcohol and tobacco to support youth and sports development and to create conditions for young athletes to participate in international competitions. He suggested that supporting such initiatives could demonstrate unity between the majority and the opposition.
“We should treat the country as we treat our own home. If we did for the country what we do for our homes, we would change something. We need to carry out a European-style renovation across the entire country,” Renato Usatii concluded.