Chisinau 2026 budget remains in limbo as heating subsidies spark political standoff
The Chisinau Municipal Council (CMC) failed to convene for a second consecutive day on January 30, as a boycott by opposition factions left the capital without an approved budget for 2026.
The Socialist Party (PSRM) conditioned its support for the fiscal plan on the administration’s commitment to provide heating subsidies for the city’s most vulnerable residents.
The subsidy stalemate
PSRM faction leader Alexandr Odintsov revealed that in 2025, approximately 5,000 residents faced legal action from the state utility, Termoelectrica, due to unpaid heating bills.
"We expect the number of lawsuits to surge during the spring and summer months," Odintsov stated during a press briefing, emphasizing that the faction will not budge until social protections are secured.
Accusations of electioneering
The standoff has turned theatrical. On January 29, councilors from the National Alternative Movement (MAN), loyal to Mayor Ion Ceban, placed portraits of absent PSRM and PAS councilors on their empty seats, labeled with the word "Shame."
Odintsov dismissed these actions as "artistic performances" designed to mask the start of early local and presidential election campaigns. He argued the Mayor is avoiding dialogue to keep the budget in its current, unmodified form.
Administrative counter-arguments
MAN councilor Ludmila Polodiuc countered that residents already receive aid through the national Energy Vulnerability Reduction Fund. She noted that social assistance currently provides various forms of support.
These include material aid for children of up to 4,000 MDL (approx. €205) per child and an annual school allowance of 700 MDL (approx. €36).
The Mayor’s stance
Mayor Ion Ceban has accused the opposition of blackmail, claiming the boycott is a tactic to secure administrative positions within the municipality rather than a policy dispute.
Despite the paralysis in the Council, Ceban assured the public that the city has a functional provisional budget and that essential services will remain unaffected throughout 2026.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
