The new government has one goal and will achieve it - we want to become a true government that represents the citizens, listening to them and solving their problems. The statement was made by the PDM chairman, Vlad Plahotniuc, in an interview with the Moldovan State Press Agency.

Here is the full interview:

Question: You have reshuffled more than half of the government. Did you want to make a surprise and impact the public through unexpected appointments?

Vlad Plahotniuc: It was a surprise for us to a certain extent. When we announced we were going to reshuffle, we did not think about the formula we reached. For a month, together with the Prime Minister, we have stayed and analyzed what is the best combination for the Government's effectiveness to grow, strengthen and depolitize the most important sectors such as justice or the economy. Moreover, we want to make a more precarious government that will face the problems and solve them.

Q: To what extent were decisions of yours, of the prime minister and of the coalition partners made? 

Vlad Plahotniuc: It was a collective decision that went beyond the people you mentioned, because we also consulted with many people in non-politics field who made us dozens of recommendations, of which we have taken into account. There have been talks with many people at this time and a positive thing is that among the evaluated applications we have found some extraordinary professionals. Government colleagues will keep in touch with them and will appeal to their expertise. 

Q: We have some important names in the new government that Iurie Leanca, Alexandru Tanase and Chiril Gaburici. How did you reach these appointments?

Vlad Plahotniuc: There are well-known people in their professional area, in the areas they will manage. I do not think there is anyone who can challenge their skills, honestly, on the areas in which they're working. The goal of the ruling coalition is to dynamize those areas of activity, to move to a new stage of their development.

Justice needs extensive reforms. The reforms will be more challenging in the economy field as there are a vast program of road infrastructure modernization.

Our activities in European integration must be more revolutionary as this will promote national development strategies and should be based on European integration. Therefore, it's so complex area. This's reason why the government has invited those people. 

Q: Maia Sandu and some experts are reproaching you that you have returned the PLDM people to the Government and there are not PDM people. Have you re-established PLDM-PDM governance?

Vlad Plahotniuc: Iurie Leanca and Alexandru Tanase were once in PLDM, it is true. Unlike Maia Sandu, however, they left PLDM long before the disaster began there which invoked the problems eventually leading to the fall of the party.

Unlike Maia Sandu, they talked about those issues and took the attitude. Mrs. Sandu stood to the end, turned off the light, made social ravages in the field of Education, then made her party immaculate.

I understand very well Mrs. Sandu's concern - they were her former colleagues, she knows their qualities and understands that they will reach important results. However, the opposition party is always disturbed by the success of government, even if it is the success of the citizens.

The fact that two or three people of 14 Government members once made part of the PLDM is not absolutely negative.

We recognize the professional through their present dedication not their past membership of party. However, this also proves that prejudices don't exist. 

Q: Chiril Gaburici took part of PLDM-he was proposed in the function of Prime Minister by this party. Isn't it right? How can you comment on the situation with his diploma?

Vlad Plahotniuc: Chiril Gaburici was proposed by the coalition of those times with some other candidates. They were searching for a man who is not a politician, because we had a minority Government and it needed to be accepted by the opposition. I don't remember the times he was in PLDM. On the contrary, I remember he was treated badly by some of the party's representatives. According to his diploma, I remember how the politicians and the journalists tried to defend him on this topic, attack him now. It is a chameleon behavior that speaks about the professionalism of those journalists and about their ethics. In the position in which he was nominated, Chiril Gaburici has the opportunity to answer the results of these criticisms. But, we haven't nominated him for this, we want him to resolve some very important economic and infrastructure problems. We are interested in his capacities of managing such an important sphere as the economy and infrastructure is. I am sure the citizens will evaluate him by his results.

Q: What did you not like at the previous ministers?

Vlad Plahotniuc: At the very beginning I said it is not about the fact I didn't like something, it is about a change in the structure of the Government. It is not right to show your displeasure when the economy grows and the reforms are ongoing, which is proved by a new trance of funds from National Monetary Fund, after they evaluated the reforms of the Government.

Comparing to January 2016, when PDM took the leadership of the Government, now the trust of the citizens in this party increased four times. So, how can I say I don't like something? When we realized the Government's reform and reduced the number of the ministries to a half, we said that we will change the management of the institutions. After the institutions' consolidation we required some professionals who can manage those institutions. At the same time, the ministers gained a special training and an experience that can be applied in new spheres.

 The Prime Minister discussed with some of the ministers and asked to provide the transition period of the new institutions and then the changed took place. This is the basis of the change, also the thing that we started a depoliticize period of the Government. Those were the competitions for the state secretaries and general state secretaries, who come from the professional sphere, not from the politics one.

The rotation of cadres is a necessary element in high-level management. We called in functions new people with fresh views and the majority who lost those functions will have important tasks in the party, while others can receive the same tasks in other institutions.

Q: Are satisfied about Pavel Filip's activity?

Vlad Plahotniuc: Pavel Filip is a surprise even for me, as I know him for many years. I have always known he is a serious, hard-working man, but, since he took the function of prime minister, he showed how well organized, equilibrated, painstakingly and preoccupied of efficient results is he.

I have never talked about how hard it was to convince him to accept this function and about how he didn't want this function. Many said it is just a speculation and I will take his function very fast. Even the last days there were rumors about this idea, but, nobody knows how much we convinced him to accept this proposal. I repeat, we wanted and still want him to be in this function, because he is very responsible. He is a professionist.

This is for you to understand how far is the reality from speculations. When you notice such speculations, just make sure those are true.  

Q: What do you expect from the new Government?

Vlad Plahotniuc: The new Government has a single aim and will achieve it - to truly be a Government which represents the citizens, to listen and solve their problems. Everything will be done with this goal in mind. It is actually the continuation of the mission which begun back in 2016.

We will keep the Government away from politics. Those who wish to play politics can do so with me and my colleagues from PDM, but we must make sure that the Government will be left alone, to concentrate on the people. We will continue to travel all over the country to speak with citizens, to share their troubles with the Government, to request them being solved, to politically support the solutions.

Q: Do you feel politically fulfilled this year?

Vlad Plahotniuc: I feel like a person who starts a new chapter in life - on a new level, which I view as a big challenge. It already makes me act and kindles excitement for the new year.

It will be a very interesting year, with many new elements and approaches from the Government. At the same time, we will show a responsible attitude toward the citizens, both PDM and the Government. Despite the election from next year, it will be a year of important changes in attitude and efficiency.

Q: How many do you believe will support PDM in the elections from 2018?

Vlad Plahotniuc: The score PDM will gain will be directly proportional to the results we will show during the year.  If we will have positive results that will help citizens, we expect the support of many. In the end, the results solely depend on us, on how we work.

Q: Thank you.

A: Thank you and Happy Holidays to you and your readers. May you have a great New Year, one which we also will try to contribute to as much as we can.