MOSCOW, January 25. /TASS/. New large-scale protests in Moldova are quite likely, but they require a high degree of consolidation among the country’s opposition forces, the republic’s former president Igor Dodon has said.

"I think that people are very disgruntled. Chances of new large-scale protests are quite high, but it is important that all opposition forces came up with a consolidated stance," he told the Rossiya-24 TV channel on Tuesday night.

In his words, the republic’s citizens are particularly angered by growing utility costs, which multiplied compared to previous years, and rampant inflation.

"That is why there is discontent in the society. People want changes," the former president said.

Moldova's pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity Party came to power during the 2021 elections and now controls the Moldovan parliament and government. Thousands of opposition protesters and people who were unhappy with declining living standards took to the streets in the country this past summer. They accused the government of a failure to overcome the crisis, complained about the soaring prices for food, natural gas, electricity and the worst inflation in the past 20 years, which reached 34% year on year. The government also came under fire for balking at holding talks with Russia to receive lower gas prices and for putting pressure on the opposition.