On July 10, 2020, Moldova extended the state of public healthcare emergency until July 31. On that day, Moldova reported 258 new cases of coronavirus and other 11 deaths caused by COVID-19. On July 10, 2020, Italy announced that it will keep its borders close to Moldovan citizens. On this day, President Igor Dodon announced that he wants to offer the Civic Merit Award to the Minister of Health, Viorica Dumbrăveanu.

• One Hundred Days of COVID-19

Dodon can distribute state medals at his own will. Nobody doubts this. However, it was absolutely inappropriate to announce a Civic Merit Award for fighting against the epidemic when there was evidence that the epidemic was still spreading.

The president in Moldova does not have too many powers and offering awards and medals is one of the few procedures he can carry out.

Dodon has traveled throughout the country without a mask and gloves. He handed out orders and gifts to veterans, families, and candies to children. Now, Dodon decided to offer an award to Dumbrăveanu.

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The Minister of Health should have warned Dodon, requesting him to cut the number of visits to the homes of veterans and other people in the risk group. Dumbrăveanu should’ve asked Dodon to communicate verified and reliable information about the COVID-19 infection.

We do not doubt that Minister Dumbrăveanu worked hard. However, she was lenient with the authorities, turning a blind eye to the errors or abuses they committed during the epidemiological situation. Thus, she made the work of healthcare workers harder. 

Recently, the newsroom received a phone call from a woman, who works in a hospital in Chișinău. She described a night-shift while taking care of COVID patients. She mentioned that although there are several doctors during the day, it’s still hard. However, during the night shift, the sick people with fever and serious conditions come non-stop. Hospitalized patients have various requests, but there are fewer and fewer medical workers who work at night.

The truth is that Dodon changed his mind, abandoning the idea to offer an award to Minister Dumbrăveanu. It is an act of great presidential irresponsibility, to publicly announce that you intend to offer an award to a person and then to say that you have changed your mind. However, we should also think about the value of the Civic Merit Award after it was mentioned in Dodon’s speech and passes through his hands.

What would be the value of the Civic Merit Award if it were offered by Jacinda Ardern, the intelligent Prime Minister of New Zealand, where no new case of COVID-19 has been registered for 75 days? To whom would Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid offer such an award, now when her country is recognized as one of the most advanced in using technologies to fight the pandemic? On July 15, the Baltic States recorded just a few cases of coronavirus. While in Estonia, there was only one new case.

In Dodon’s hands, the president of the state from which doctors, teachers, engineers want to emigrate, the awards devalue, becoming his personal non-merit. Perhaps it’s time to institute Dodon’s Merit Award and see who accepts it? Moreover, in the fall, perhaps people will seriously consider his non-merits?