REFERENDUM 2024 // Accession to European Union means development of settlements. Mayors of Edinet, Straseni, Chisinau municipalities back European vector, say outright ''YES'' at Referendum due on 20 October

Moldova’s citizens on 20 October 2024 will participate in a constitutional referendum, during which they will answer the question: ‘’Do you support the amendment of the Constitution for the Republic of Moldova’s accession to the European Union?’’  

The results of the plebiscite will represent ground, if most residents answer affirmatively to this question, for the amendment of Moldova’s Constitution, so that the European integration’s desideratum should be compulsory for all governances due to come.

The European integration means the modernization and development of settlements, improvement of people’s living standards, jobs and a prosperous life in conditions of peace. The mayor of the Edinet city, Constantin Cojocaru, the mayor of the Ungheni municipality, Vitalie Vrabie, and well as the mayors of two settlements of the Chisinau municipality, the mayor of Cruzesti, Violeta Crudu and the mayor of Sireti commune, Leonid Boaghi, speak out for Moldova’s accession to the European Union and urge the citizens to participate in the referendum due on 20 October. At a joint news conference, the local authorities referred to the benefits of the European integration and the European Union’s investments in Moldova’s regional development.     

Mayor of Edinet city Constantin Cojocaru: „So far, the Edinet municipality has benefited from European projects worth ten million euros.’’

„We benefited from equipment for the economic management of municipal enterprises, which help the local public authorities manage the green areas on the area of the city, ensure the collection and composting of waste sustainably. With the European Union’s support, we benefited from a new public transport service, with eight buses worth 1 million euros purchased. Also, a string of actions have been carried out for improving the level of quality of the public illumination and of the conditions of living of the city’s residents. EU will continue providing support to Edinet through project, as well as through other initiatives underway.

Only with EU’s support, we will be able to improve the quality of the urban development, the public services and, in general, the living conditions of the citizens from the Edinet city through enforcing smart solutions in more fields of urban development: local governance, public services, districts for living, business and education.   

Therefore, it is badly necessary for us to say a firm ‘’YES’’ at the referendum on 20 October. I come up with this call not only for the Edinet city, but also for the entire region. We have enough examples which persuade us that we must be together with the European Union.’’

Vitalie Vrabie, mayor of the Ungheni municipality: „In the last five years, the European Union has invested over 300 million lei in the Ungheni city.’’

„In the last years, with EU’s support, in the Ungheni district, the infrastructure for supply with drinking water was constructed, the most important urban water main was rehabilitated and the infrastructure of utilities and of providing local public services was developed. In the last five years, the European Union has invested over 300 million lei in the Ungheni municipality. The money was invested in education, economy, infrastructure and public services.  

In the beginning of this year, EU informed that it provided 1.5 million euros for the creation and modernization of the infrastructure in the Cahul and Ungheni regions. They will benefit from sums between 200,000 and 550,000 euros, through EU4Moldova: Focal Regions programme, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).  

The smart city is no longer a dream of the mankind, but a reality. We are grateful to the EU4Moldova: Focal Regions programme, our partners and friends for the opportunity to go the road of the digital transformation. The working out of the Smart City Ungheni 2021-2025 programme, with the support of EU and UNDP, made us understand much better what we have to do in continuation. We are still at the beginning of the way, but we are sure that, in the next years, Ungheni will become a really smart city. We will succeed together and the future will surely be better. Or, to have all these, it necessary that we understand that we must choose another way. The European way and I am fully confident that the Ungheni residents this autumn will speak out for the Moldova’s accession to the European Union.’’    

Violeta Crudu, mayor of Cruzesti, Chisinau municipality: „For us, there is no safer, more peaceful and more prosperous environment than the European one. After so many years of expectations, we have no longer right to miss this historical chance.’’

„The European Union’s projects change the look of our settlements. For tens of years already, the local authorities of Moldova have been among the main promoters of the European integration from the country. Our local authorities and associations should prepare for the challenges which we will face in the enlargement process. We understand how important this thing is and we are fully conscious of assiduous work which we should carry out.

Namely we, the mayors, the people who are with the best confidence in our settlements, should raise the awareness of the public opinion about the challenges we face at present, as well as encourage our citizens that there is no other safer, more peaceful and more prosperous environment than the European one. Presently, following more expectations, we have no longer right to make mistakes, we have no longer right to miss this historical chance.   

Many times, we wonder what the European Union means? EU means clear rules for all sectors, respect, dignity, as well as laws which are to protect us. We cannot stay passive and look at how some people try to hinder our future. I urge you to give a helping hand and promote the truth in our villages and cities or the truth is, first of all, the fact that we need Europe and our future must be, undoubtedly, a really European one.  

Leonid Boaghi, mayor of Sireti, Straseni district: „We are a Latin people and we are part of the European civilization. This means that, on 20 October, we must say an outright YES to the accession to EU’’

„In the last years, our emphasis has been put on the attraction of investments and implementation of projects financed by the state and from foreign sources. We successfully brought over 90 million lei to the local budget. Presently, our priorities are the local economic development, youth policies, environment initiatives, adaptation to the climate changes, energy efficiency, management of heritage, digitalization and Diaspora’s involvement in our actions. We elaborated an action plan for the economic development, energy efficiency and management of heritage.  

Our community has a great economic and tourist potential, with a population of over 6,500 residents and being nearby the country’s capital. There are a lot of plans, which become realizable when somebody helps you. We enjoyed great support on behalf of European funds, which allowed us move forward. The accession to the European Union brings a string of benefits. The mayoralties will have possibility to grow, to develop, to improve the quality of life as quickly as possible. We are a Latin people and we are part of the European civilization. This means that, on 20 October, we must say an outright YES to the accession to EU, as this is our future, this is the direction in which we must move.’’