“The Good Times”
PSRM leader Igor Dodon believes that the PAS authorities should explain why they did not purchase a sufficient amount of gas in April–May, when prices were lower, and should also publish information on the prices and terms of gas purchases for the 2026–2027 heating season.
“And if a VAT increase follows, the pressure on bills, goods, and services will become even greater. Some people have to save money for an entire year just to spend it all on gas in the winter. This is a mockery of the people. People are forced to go hungry just to keep from freezing. This is what these ‘good times’ have come to,” the lawmaker said.
“Citizens Are Paying for the Authorities’ Mistakes”
For her part, Communist Party leader Diana Caraman called the decision “another blow to citizens’ wallets”:
“NARE—an institution in which the majority are individuals appointed by PAS—today decided to raise the gas rate by nearly 41 percent—from 14.42 to 20.30 lei per cubic meter. Once again, citizens are being forced to pay for the government’s mistakes, opaque decisions, and failed energy policy.”
“Chisinau Has Surpassed Dubai”
MP Alexandru Stoianoglo also criticized NARE’s decision, ironically stating that “Chisinau has overtaken Dubai in terms of the cost of living.”
“As usual, the authorities will explain this away by citing ‘global market conditions.’ But there’s one detail: we’re paying global prices with Moldovan salaries. In Vienna or Berlin, utility bills in the winter account for at most 10–15% of the average salary. Here? They can eat up the entire salary. Prices in our supermarkets have long since caught up with Warsaw and Prague. There’s one key difference: there, the minimum wage protects people; here, it pushes people below the extreme poverty line. “We live in a unique economy: prices become European in five minutes, while wages remain Moldovan for years. At this rate, it will be cheaper to rent an apartment in Athens this winter than to turn on the boiler at home,” Stoyanoglo stated.
PDCM leader Ion Chicu also offered sharp criticism: “There is only one explanation for this gas rate hike—the theft and incompetence of Maia Sandu’s henchmen. She appointed them to key positions, and she alone is responsible for the state the country has reached.”
A 260 million lei difference in the exchange rate
“Our Party” MP Constantin Cuiumju questioned the exchange rate used to calculate the tariff:
“The exchange rate used is 20.30 lei per euro—the same rate as in February—even though the NBM’s average official exchange rate for January–August 2026 is 19.81 lei. With contracted volumes of nearly 900 million cubic meters, this exchange rate difference alone would mean approximately 260 million lei in additional costs for consumers.”
NARE: That’s not true
However, NARE refuted the 260 million lei estimate. The agency stated that the lawmaker’s claim “does not correspond to reality,” since the projected exchange rate of 20.30 lei per euro does not apply to the entire volume of nearly 900 million cubic meters. According to NARE, gas consumption of 192.7 million cubic meters is projected for the period August–December 2026. In January–July, 502.9 million cubic meters were consumed, for which the actual exchange rate was applied.
Meanwhile, a joke about the new tariff is circulating on social media: “Moldova wanted EU-2030, but got gas at 20:30.”
As a reminder, the Board of Directors of the National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE), at its meeting on August 21, 2026, approved regulated prices for the supply of natural gas by Energocom to certain categories of end users as part of its public service obligations. The new rate will be 5.88 lei, or 41%, higher than the current rate of 14.42 lei per cubic meter. The updated price takes effect on September 1 and will be 20.30 lei per m³.
