A large-scale political struggle has unfolded in Balti, extending beyond the boundaries of a single city and threatening the principles of local self-government across the country. Mayor Alexandr Petkov, elected from Our Party, accuses the authorities of orchestrating a deliberate campaign to remove him, linked to attempts to redistribute municipal assets and interfere in the city's administration. In this regard, the mayor of Balti has addressed the international community with an appeal to defend democratic institutions and prevent the usurpation of power. Below, we present the text of his official declaration.

To the Delegation of the European Union to Moldova
To the Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova
To the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe

Declaration of the Mayor of Balti

Today, our country is witnessing an attempt to usurp power through politically motivated persecution and interference in local self-government.

In Balti, representatives of the ruling PAS party, in alliance with criminal elements from the Party of Socialists, have launched a political crackdown, accelerating court cases and legal proceedings against me through repressive state institutions. These cases are being pushed forward at an unprecedented speed with the clear aim of keeping the lawfully elected mayor out of office for more than five months. According to Law No. 768, this would automatically lead to my mandate being revoked and trigger early mayoral elections in Balti, deliberately timed to coincide with the parliamentary elections.

This is not just political revenge for an electoral defeat a year and a half ago. It is an attempt to seize control of the city at the very moment when our team has secured substantial European investments and launched large-scale infrastructure projects.

What is unfolding is a direct assault on the independence of local self-government, aimed at placing the city under the control of corrupt elites who have long exploited the municipal budget for personal gain. This is a blatant attempt to usurp power in Balti, orchestrated in the interests of the construction mafia and criminal groups that finance the Party of Socialists from abroad. I have ample grounds to assert that one of the key organizers and patrons of this political-criminal network in Balti is Boris Marcoci, a deputy of the ruling party.

Under his patronage, preparations are underway for the privatization of the strategic energy enterprise RED-Nord, along with the takeover of the municipal utility Apă-Canal Balti. Their plan involves seizing these vital assets nearly simultaneously. While the privatization of the energy company does not require municipal approval, Apă-Canal Balti is city property, and they know I will be the first to oppose such a move. This is why a series of fabricated "corruption scandals" within Balti City Hall has been launched and widely disseminated. The ultimate goal is to discredit the mayor and paralyze local administration. A key role in this scheme has been assigned to the Balti office of the National Anticorruption Center (CNA) and their accomplices in other institutions, whose coordinated, politically driven actions leave no room for doubt.

My firm stance against corruption has become a threat to those who have been profiting from municipal resources for years. Now, they are doing everything possible to remove me and regain access to their illicit schemes—pressuring the courts, weaponizing state institutions, and orchestrating coordinated media attacks.

This goes beyond one position or one city. It is a dangerous signal that democratic institutions in our country are being dismantled, and local self-government is under siege. If they succeed in Balti today, this could set a dangerous precedent nationwide.

I urge the international community to closely monitor the situation, assess these actions, and demand that the Moldovan authorities uphold democratic standards. Local self-government must not become a bargaining chip in political games, and the judiciary must not be used as a tool to oust elected representatives of the people.

I remain fully committed to my mandate and my responsibility to the residents of Balti, regardless of their political views. The fight for democracy continues, and I will do everything in my power to safeguard the right of Balti’s citizens to honest governance and prevent corrupt clans from dragging our city back into the past.

Alexandr Petkov
Mayor of Balti, 
Vice Chairman of the Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova (CALM)