Moldova to introduce state of emergency for 2 months
The decision is related to the expected halt of Russian gas supplies on January 1 (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
On the night of December 13, the Moldovan parliament voted to introduce a state of emergency in the country. It will remain in effect for 60 days, starting from December 16, reports Reuters.
According to Reuters, Moldova receives Russian gas via Ukraine, which is not planning to extend the current transit contract with Gazprom, which expires on December 31. This poses a threat to Moldova, as it is closely connected to Transnistria.
Since 2022, Transnistria and the central government of Moldova agreed that all Russian gas received by Moldova would be directed to the unrecognized region.
As gas transit is now in question, the government has stated that discontinuing gas supplies to Transnistria will lead to a humanitarian crisis... and also create risks to the stability of Moldova's energy sector. Additionally, Reuters clarifies that Transnistria hosts a power plant that operates on Russian gas. This plant is a key support for the so-called region and provides most of the electricity for areas directly controlled by Moldova.
Accordingly, both sides are dependent on each other. The state of emergency (SOE), which was voted for by 56 and 101 deputies, enables the government to respond quickly and restrict the export of energy resources. The decision to adopt such a measure was urged by the country's Prime Minister, Dorin Recean.
In particular, he stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to leave the population of Transnistria without gas and electricity and hold them hostage. According to Recean, Moscow is doing this to destabilize the situation in Moldova. Therefore, he called on parliament to approve the SOE so that this winter would be the last in the country's history when we could face energy blackmail.
Recean explained what he meant by blackmail. He clarified that the issue of transit through Ukraine is an artificial problem, as Russian gas can be transported via alternative routes.
For more details on why the energy crisis in Moldova could turn into a political one, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
