Ion Cheban
In the morning, Chisinau Mayor Ion Ceban once again emphasized that no project, “big or small”, has been suspended in the capital this year. And he expressed hope that municipal councilors “will show political will”.
However, an hour before the meeting, PDS councillors held a press conference where they accused the mayor of non-transparent management of municipal funds. In their opinion, the Chisinau mayor’s office should have presented a report on the execution of the provisional budget instead of insisting on its approval retroactively.
The initiative to refuse the vote was voiced by a councillor from the Party of Socialists (PSRM), Adrian Lebedinschi. The faction believes that the approval of the current year’s budget is no longer necessary, as the deadline for presenting the budget for 2026 is approaching.
Therefore, the MPs did not discuss and vote for the draft budget 2025. 24 PDS and PSRM councillors voted in favor of Adrian Lebedinschi’s proposal, while representatives of MAN, PCRM, Our Party and DA Platform were against it. The Chisinau mayor accused the councilors of political games and sabotage.
So Chisinau will continue to work on last year’s budget. It is still unclear if and when another attempt to vote on the draft budget – 2025 – will be made. But if the municipal council fails to do so by the end of this year, the story will become a precedent that happens in the capital for the first time.
Hopes that councilors would calm down after the election and finally discuss the budget, presenting figures and arguments, have not materialized.
