[Vladimir Voronin, 82 Years Old, President, Republic of Moldova, 2001-2009]
[Voronin] It's all dying, it's all dying
[Voronin] Not one industry left, not a single sector
[Voronin] Nothing, anywhere
[Voronin] We're so mired in Moldova now that we don't care anymore
[Voronin] Now, the road is a dead end. There's no road now
[Voronin] The road is over
[Voronin] It's a dead end
[Voronin] A dead end: political, economic, social,
human...
[Voronin] All...
all of it: a dead end
[Voronin] Why? Because...
the people in power now,
the president, parliament, the government
are all inept people, they're unprofessional
[Sandu] I will oppose those who steal from us
and drive us into poverty
[Sandu] I will act in the interests of all citizens
to improve our standards of living and give us confidence in the future
[Man] My pension used to be $44
[Man] Thanks to the president, I now get twice that!
[Man] You see? I now receive another $44 and get $88
[Man] And you get by on that?
[Man] I'm satisfied, I'm satisfied because...
[Woman] We're not satisfied! [Man] For democracy, we must endure!
[Woman] I work at the post office for $66. Tell me, please...
[Woman] I serve a whole village...
[Woman] That's my pay. Why? Why is it so low?
[Sandu] Because the law says the minimum wage is $192
[Woman 1] Where is it? [Sandu] That's a question
[Shor] Life is worse, they just fooled people, beautifully,
with marketing and advertising budgets, but they fooled us
[Shor] Yes, we all know that Moldovans are kind, good people who can't
throw Molotov cocktails or break windows. We saw that at our protests
[Shor] But we all have limits
[Valentina Svintsitsskaya, Retired]
[Valentina] We're old! Nobody helps us. Nobody!
[Valentina] Pensions are minimal
[Ilan Shor, 36 Years Old, Politician And Entrepreneur, Moldova Shor Party Leader]
[Shor] Since 2021, the price of gas is 10 times higher
[Shor] Electricity, 10 times more
[Shor] Pensioners can barely pay for utilities from their pensions
[Shor] Without help...
from children who work abroad, they just wouldn't survive
[Shor] They'd have no money
[Shor] So today, Moldova and Moldovans are totally bankrupt
[Shor] The economy is on the floor
[Shor] These are the last gasps of the dead
[Shor] I mean, somehow it still moves but, with the last of its strength. It's dead
[VO] Industry in the republic has now grown 40 times compared to the pre-war period.
[VO] Many enterprises have completed year-2 of the 10th Five-Year plan ahead of schedule.
[Aleksandr Nesterovsky, 42 Years Old, MP, Republic Of Moldova]
[Nesterovsky] Over time, we've lost all our industry, from top to bottom
[Nesterovsky] We used to make fridges, TVs, tractors
[Nesterovsky] We had the USSR's most advanced computer plant in '91
[Nesterovsky] They'd just finished it. We made all sorts. Now, nothing
[Nesterovsky] We subsist on farming leftovers from our land
[Zinaida Velichkova, 65 Years Old, Retired]
[Zinaida] I'm digging up potatoes
[Zinaida] It's hard, but what can you do? It used to be easier
[Zinaida] I'll be 65 soon. It's hard to cope on my own
[Zinaida] Thank God I have food at home
[Zinaida] Not much...
[Zinaida] Potatoes, onions...
and tomatoes
[Zinaida] This is the oldest cat
[Zinaida] I don't even know how old!
[Vladimir, Cotovscoe Resident]
[Vladimir] All the youth have gone. Some to Europe, some to Russia
[Vladimir] In short, young folk flee wherever they can
[Zinaida] We stay. No one will pay our pensions, all the young leave
[Zinaida] All of them. What can you do?
[Zinaida] Well, if we're desperate, and we...
[Zinaida] We're now... Here! These are relief supplies...
[Zinaida] We spend pennies on clothes
[Zinaida] We're paupers. Paupers. We are paupers
[Zinaida] That's how we live
[Shor] It's true. No one is left here
[Shor] After the USSR collapsed, Moldova had five million residents
[Shor] Today, sadly, two
[Shor] Two million permanent residents in Moldova
[Shor] Two million to 2,300,0000, and about two million outside
[Shor] All that keeps Moldova going is the diaspora that sends money back
[Shor] No economy in Moldova, no production, it's dead
[Shor] In 10 years of pro-Western rule,
and the last two years of purely pro-Western rule,
[Shor] Moldova's been uprooted, we're 50, even 70 years behind
[Shor] And the priority is to get people back to the country
[Viktoria Yakim, Moved to Russia from Moldova 10 Years Ago]
[Viktoria] Grandpa served in the Navy here
[Viktoria] Our family has a connection to Russia
[Viktoria] We learnt the language and moved here, it took a week
[Viktoria] Before, every other person from every family went to work in Russia
[Viktoria] They've already started to shut down Russian schools, Russian books...
[Viktoria] They don't want that. They're destroying it all
[Viktoria] To remove that thread linking the two countries
[Andrey Yakim, Moved to Russia from Moldova 10 Years Ago]
[Andrey] Only the old are there
[Andrey] I mean...
[Andrey] There's nothing to do
[Nesterovsky] Every family in Moldova has someone who works abroad
[Nesterovsky] In Russia, Europe, or somewhere, almost every family
[Nesterovsky] Sadly, they mostly don't return if they find a job and settle down
[Nesterovsky] That's why we're losing
almost all of our population, with the worst rate in the CIS
[Sergey Gonchar, Farmer] I fear for my kids and my grandchildren
[Sergey] I'm afraid of what will happen and how it will play out
[Sergey] Tell me: why spend 45 million euros on weapons?
[Sergey] Who are we going to fight?
[Sergey] I also suspect that when the time comes,
it will be used against our people
[Anna Altyeva, Housewife] That house is abandoned, the owners left
[Anna] A woman from there moved to Russia
[Anna] A woman's selling that house there. This one's also abandoned
[Anna] This woman also left. Everything's abandoned
[Anna] Preparing kids for school is unrealistic now
[Anna] With these prices, how can you even feed them?
[Anna] Getting a kid ready for school takes $500
[Anna] The head teacher told me a lot of people are leaving, many have left
[Anna] I don't know how true this is, but they say, just from one school,
about 160 children have been taken out
[Anna] Teachers have no work, they urge us to reconsider
[Aleksandr Korinenko, History Teacher]
[Aleksandr] Here's a history textbook introduced in 2013:
'Romanian and General History'
[Aleksandr] We see that this text book
has only 2 paragraphs devoted to the role of the USSR in World War II
[Aleksandr] For a long time, the memory of the Great Patriotic War
was what held the Soviet people together
[Aleksandr] Of course, Western strategists are well aware of this
[Aleksandr] By erasing our common victory from history
and downplaying its significance,
they can undermine the foundation of Russia's influence
[Elderly Woman] Russia fed us
[Elderly Woman] The gas and electricity... it's all from Russia
[Elderly Woman] The Romanians want to occupy us, Europe wants to occupy us
[Elderly Woman] We have to think about the people
because its the people who own Gagauzia and Moldova
[Pavel Verejanu, 50 Years Old, Deputy Governor of Gagauzia, Ex-Mayor of Orhei]
[Verejanu] Social supermarkets started to appear in 2015
[Verejanu] That project was initiated by Ilan Shor
a chain of food shops that don't make a profit
[Verejanu] It was important for us just to break even,
while helping pensioners to save some money
[Verejanu] As of today, there are more than 136
social supermarkets in Moldova
[Verejanu] These shops became popular
[Verejanu] Later, we expanded to the entire Orhei District
[Verejanu] In the villages, we brought in mobile social stores
[Verejanu] Once a week...
a mobile store would go to a village,
from 8 am to 5 pm
and it was a place for villagers to buy social goods at a lower price
[Woman] A fine village, a good school
[Woman] We have everything we need
[Woman 1] No young people [Woman] Well the young go away
[Woman] It's hard to live here with children
[Woman] It's cheaper here [Woman] Of course it is
[Woman] It's cheaper
[Woman] What bread? [Woman 1] 3 grey loaves
[Woman] 2 white, sliced [Woman 1] Yes, yes
[Verejanu] The authorities want to close the shops, starting with social bread
[Verejanu] The government passed legislation to stop social supermarkets
having the right to lower prices for bakery products,
thus scrapping the social bread part of the project
[Verejanu] This is why we are fighting
[Verejanu] This week, there were demonstrations all over Moldova
[Protester] What they did is so wrong!
[Protester] Because no one else can improve our Moldova
[Protester] They completely wrong-footed us!
[Protester] It's unreal what's happening in our country
[Shor] Yes, yes!
[Shor] Yes, OK
[Shor] Fine
[Shor] Alright, OK
[Shor] Alright, OK. Thanks!
[Shor] Alright, good
[Shor] OK, thank you
[Shor] Good day, everyone
[Shor] Let's begin with city issues
[Verejanu] We'll start by talking about the urban environment
[Verejanu] Then we'll return to the roads. We have another road to Causeni
ready to be inspected and opened
[Shor] OK, so you've dealt with squares and so on?
[Verejanu] Yes, yes... [Shor] Good
[Verejanu] But I don't think we can do anything about the roads this year,
because there are so many
[Shor] We must do it. When's the road to Lupoaica planned?
[Verejanu] No sooner than a month [Shor] What! It's not up for debate
[Shor] Why can't we do it in August?
[Verejanu] Because as of today, we've just 3 crews. Ilian is looking for another,
but road builders are scarce
[Shor] Where are the builders if we don't build anything?
[Verejanu] They go abroad [Shor] Yes, they've gone
[Verejanu] Over the past year, about 100k people have fled the country
[Verejanu] 100k people!
[Shor] We have much work to do this year. Three crews isn't good enough
[Shor] We must double or triple capacity to complete the work we planned
[Shor] People believe us because we don't lie to them. If we promise, we do it
[Shor] We keep our word. It's our first duty
[Shor] We don't drone on about geopolitics, tell stories, waffle on...
[Shor] We say, 'Build a road!'
[Shor] So, go get shovels, pour gravel, cover it with asphalt...
[Shor] The road's done!
[Verejanu] Plus, there was a brilliantly conceived project: 'OrheiLand'
[Verejanu] Our neighbouring countries don't have anything like it
[Verejanu] I've met people here from all five continents,
who are amazed that everything's free and accessible
[Verejanu] Why is everything free here? Because, as Ilan Shor said...
kids shouldn't know about their parents' problems
[Verejanu] Every child should be happy and smiling. Each one of them!
[Verejanu] And they shouldn't depend on their parents' or grandparents' incomes
[Shor] We built a unique amusement park, the world's only free one
[Shor] Why? Because I can't take money
from a kid with absent parents, or whose grandma can't afford it
[Shor] I don't want rich or poor kids to be any different in this park
[Shor] Kids shouldn't be divided into the haves and have nots
[Shor] I'm pro communism that way. Everyone's equal, kids foremost
[Sandu] The ȘOR Party has a clear mandate from the Kremlin and the FSB:
to bring war and crime to Moldova
[Sandu] Their aim is to destabilise society and to overthrow
the democratically elected government by violent means
[Protesters] Down with dictatorship! Down with dictatorship!
[Protesters] Shame! Shame!
[Protester] I oppose the ȘOR party's closure, the same goes for any party,
for 1 simple reason: it clearly shows
our current government's dictatorial tendencies
[Protester] Frankly, closing a party is...
not only unconstitutional, it's illegal
[Protester] By closing a party, the government infringes on people
who support and share the views of that particular party
[Shor] Our party, from its very first elections, claimed almost 10%
of parliamentary votes
[Shor] The current regime didn't like it
[Shor] So they eliminated the opposition
[Tauber] They're trying to ban us and restrict our participation in elections
[Shor] I'm sure we'll restore the ȘOR Party legally. It'll take time but we'll do it
[Protesters] Victory! Victory!
[Marina Tauber, 37 Years Old, MP, Republic of Moldova, Șor Party Vice President]
[Tauber] We'll do everything possible so that on November 5, our ribbon, our logo,
the ȘOR Party, and candidates people want will be on the ballot
[Tauber] As we've always said, we'll participate in the elections
[Tauber] We'll fight on regardless. Our team is here to stay
[Protester] The man who proposed this and many other wonderful initiatives
is here in Orhei
[Protester] Our dear friend, Ilan Shor, will speak to you and greet you
[Protester] Together, we'll watch a video of what this park will look like
[Protester] And now... Ilan Shor!
[Shor] My party and I are happy to continue the Orhei development
[Shor] Currently in Moldova we don't have European standards,
but we do have Orhei standards
[Shor] Thank you!
[Protester] Applaud, my friends!
[Protester] Those of you present will be the first to see
what this wonderful amenity will look like in the near future
[Protester] The Orhei City Park!
[Protester] Let's watch the screen
[Verejanu] We took one city, one district, to prove to Moldova that it's possible
to do all this with our own hands and with no loans
[Verejanu] During these years, we didn't borrow from either Russia, the US, or the EU
[Verejanu] All this was achieved by our own hard work and persistence
[Evgenia Gutsul, 37 Years Old, Governor, Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia, Republic Of Moldova]
[Gutsul] Unfortunately, our people's living standards are worsening every day
[Gutsul] After graduating from university,
young people have to leave, because, for example...
for them to start a family, they need financial stability,
which unfortunately they can't get here
[Verejanu] We won the elections in Gagauzia, where our representative
and colleague, Evgenia Gutsul, became Governor of Gagauzia
[Verejanu] Our team in the autonomy will once again develop and implement
the same familiar projects, because, with this formula,
we see that in a short while, everyone will
feel and appreciate the prosperity that only one team can bring
[Georgy Gorelko, Cioc-Maidan Head]
[Gorelko] I was in Russia and returned because...
[Gorelko] Well, it wasn't some kind of call
[Gorelko] I just had to, to become the mayor,
and do something for my village
[Gorelko] Our education was conducted in Russian
[Gorelko] Why? Because starting in the 1950s,
many teachers and lecturers came here from Russia
[Gorelko] They taught us and...
lectured in Russian
[Gorelko] It's not that our house is overflowing with goods
but we always have something for...
if someone drops in, we don't need to run to the shops
[Gorelko] We have homemade cheese
[Gorelko] There's that, and wine
[Gorelko] What else? Everything!
[Gutsul] Our chief aim is to create conditions, which encourage our people
to return here and work for the benefit of their native Gagauzia
[Girl] Good evening!
[Presenter] Welcome to Mr. Andrei Galescu, the village mayor...
[Presenter] The vice... president... vice mayor...
[Presenter] Of... of Orhei...
[Presenter] Also, Mrs. Christina Cojucaru...
[Presenter] And you probably recognise this famous singer,
well known and beloved in our country: Ian Raiburg
[Presenter] We greet them with bread and salt, and await them here on stage
[Presenter] Good evening!
[Shor] Dear friends!
[Shor] These are difficult times, but I'm glad we still find reasons to be joyous,
and solve the problems facing Moldova's villages
[Shor] I'm a politician who's independent of the West and East,
but I do have my own truth, my own history, my own vision
[Shor] My history is the real history of our country
[Shor] My chief aim is to promote patriotism, to lift the country up,
for it not to go looking for handouts,
to co-operate, live at peace with everyone,
and to be a truly neutral state for the benefit of its citizens