The National Alternative Movement (MAN) is proposing a referendum and states that it rejects what it calls the PAS government’s “experiments” affecting children and the municipality of Chișinău. According to MAN leader and Mayor of Chișinău, Ion Ceban, the “Restart in Education” reform represents a direct attack on local autonomy and the future of the education system, TRIBUNA reports.

The politician argued that “education is the most sensitive sector of our society, and any change must be made responsibly, not politically. Unfortunately, the so‑called ‘Restart in Education’ reform proposed by the PAS Government is not about quality. It is about forced centralization and taking money out of Chișinău’s budget.”

He listed several risks that, in MAN’s view, the reform poses for Chișinău and its children:

1. Major losses for Chișinău’s budget:
   The Government intends to reduce the share of personal income tax transferred to the municipal budget from 50% to 45%.
   According to MAN, this would mean a loss of nearly 2 billion lei for the municipality by 2030 — money needed for roads, housing courtyards, and infrastructure.
2. Dismantling successful social programs:
   MAN claims the Government may eliminate services considered “too expensive,” such as:
   • Extended‑hours school groups: Over 31,000 children currently benefit from this free service, funded with 82 million lei from the municipal budget.
   • Art and sports profile classes: More than 13,000 students risk losing access to these vocational programs.
3. School meals:
   The municipality allocates an additional 90 million lei annually, beyond the state standard, to ensure higher‑quality meals for students.
4. Administrative incapacity:
   Ceban questioned how the fate of 10,000 employees in Chișinău’s schools could be entrusted to a ministry that, according to the Court of Accounts, struggles to manage its own assets — including unregistered buildings, failed investments, and unused equipment stored in warehouses while schools lack resources.
5. Risks for European‑funded projects:
   Chișinău currently implements over 48 million euros in energy‑efficiency projects with the EBRD and EIB for school modernization.
   MAN warns that transferring institutions from the municipality to the Ministry of Education could jeopardize these contracts, loan repayments, and technical guarantees.
6. Loss of support for young specialists:
   Young teachers in Chișinău currently receive a 2,000‑lei monthly rent compensation from the municipality.

Ion Ceban reiterated MAN’s position: “Our stance has been clear: education needs investment and stability, not ‘reorganizations’ that remove schools from the logic of the local community and place them under centralized political control. Reform must start from the needs of the child and the teacher, not from schemes to take over local assets and financial resources.”