Press Review // Moldova 1 resumes broadcast in Transnistria after 30 years
The resumption of Moldova 1's broadcast in the Transnistrian region after more than 30 years, as well as new developments regarding the death of a businesswoman in a beauty salon in Chișinău, are the main headlines covered by the media.
After over 30 years, the transmission of the public channel TV Moldova 1 has been resumed in the Transnistrian region. According to ProTV.md, locals in the separatist zone are pleased that, finally, they will have access to news from both banks of the Nistru River, rather than the Russian propaganda that has dominated for decades.
IP Teleradio-Moldova has announced that at least two cable operators in the region have picked up the signal. Moreover, TV Moldova 1 reports that it will explore the possibility of opening a correspondent office on the left bank of the Nistru to ensure balanced and objective coverage of the region's realities.
The model imposed by the Russian Federation in the separatist region has begun to show cracks, and the EU's assistance of hundreds of millions of euros could undermine Moscow's plan to take control of Moldova. Radio Chișinău features an opinion from political expert Ion Tăbârță, who believes that the 310 million euros in aid for both sides of the Nistru demonstrates who truly supports the Moldovan citizens and who is sacrificing them. “We in the East do not have a development model. We have an authoritarian state that disregards its citizens. The EU aid proves once again* who our partner is and which direction we should follow if we want to live well,” said Ion Tăbârță.
However, Brussels is concerned that unprecedented Russian interference in Moldova's elections, especially the upcoming parliamentary ones, could jeopardize the country's European trajectory, reports Radio Chișinău. Warnings have been issued by several Romanian MEPs, who argue that Russia refuses to accept that citizens should independently choose their direction. Therefore, it will continue to target both larger and smaller democracies, including Moldova, in an attempt to derail its European path.
Meanwhile, ipn.md reports that although Russia has lost the first phase of the hybrid war, the focus remains on the 2025 parliamentary elections. PAS MP Oazu Nantoi believes that the Putin regime wants to control Moldova to transform it “into an attack bridge over Ukraine.” The Kremlin is counting on “discontented people due to rising tariffs, declining living standards, and inflation” to vote for other political parties, some of which are “Kremlin-backed projects under cover.”
New details have emerged in the case of the death of a businesswoman during a cosmetic procedure in the Moldovan capital Moldova. TV8.md published the authorization for the beauty salon's operation, which stated that only a two-chair barbershop and the sale of cosmetic products were permitted on the premises. The deceased woman’s husband has made his first statements after the tragedy. The man claims that his wife died before the ambulance arrived and that efforts are being made to cover up the case, with some evidence being wiped by the salon's staff before the police arrived.
The water tariff in Chișinău may increase by nearly 33%, notes tvrmoldova.md. The National Agency for Energy Regulation has published the request from Apă Canal Chișinău to raise the tariff from 10.79 lei to 14.33 lei (€0.56 to €0,74) per cubic meter. According to the provider, the increase is necessary due to the rising cost of electricity.
Moldova’s Railways is raising train ticket prices for domestic routes, according to TV Moldova 1. Passengers on the Chișinău-Ungheni route will pay 2.5 times more for a ticket. The fare will rise from 22 to 55 lei (€1.13 to €2.83) for a one-way trip. The CFM administration says this increase is aimed at covering at least part of the debts owed to employees and service providers, amounting to 200 million lei (~€10mln). Meanwhile, the company's employees, who have not been paid for several months, say they will not back down from protests planned for February 14.
Moldova will become the world capital of wine for five days, reports RFI. In June, the country will host the 46th World Congress of Vine and Wine. Hundreds of specialists and participants from over 50 countries are expected in Chișinău for the event.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
