Edvard BULGAC (Cidonia SRL/Darurile Daciei), at FERM 2025: “Salvation is in our own hands, the development of mountain communities begins with local initiative and unity”
100 economic opportunities for the development of the Moldova Region on the A7 Highway route
REGIONAL ECONOMIC FORUM MOLDOVA
19th Edition – Vatra Dornei, July 9–13, 2025
Thematic Panel:
Mountain Economy – Sustainable Development and Valorization of Local Resources
Speaker:
Intervention topic:
“The responsibility of mountain communities in valorizing their own resources and building sustainable development through collaboration and unity”
The 2025 edition of the Regional Economic Forum Moldova (FERM), held in Vatra Dornei between July 9–13, brought together over 1,000 participants from Romania, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, EU member states, the Western Balkans, the Middle East, and Asia. The Forum, already a benchmark for regional development, provided a framework for strategic dialogue between decision-makers, public administration, academia, international institutions, and the business sector.
Panel 9 – Mountain Economy highlighted the specific challenges and opportunities of mountain areas, with a focus on tourism, agriculture, creative industries, and infrastructure. In this context, Edvard Bulgac, representative of Cidonia SRL / Darurile Daciei, delivered a memorable intervention that emphasized the responsibility of local communities in sustainable development.
Key Message of the Intervention
At the beginning of his speech, Edvard Bulgac stressed the importance of cultural and identity foundations in building a strong society.
“We have forgotten about cultivating love for our own country and our own people. And on a weak foundation one tries to build a strong society – this is a mistake.”
Building on this observation, he emphasized that the resources for development already exist in the region, but what is missing is collective will and organizational capacity:
“It is a mistake to say that we are poor and powerless. We have everything we need to develop and to become a strong country.”
Examples from the Mountain Economy and Tourism
To illustrate the unexploited potential, Bulgac referred to initiatives similar to those in Austria, where sports infrastructure for international competitions attracts thousands of participants and visitors. He mentioned the case of a Romanian entrepreneur who developed a track for extreme sports, attracting athletes from across Europe, and highlighted the related benefits.
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guesthouses and accommodation units would be better utilized,
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the food and catering sector would benefit from additional demand,
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the local community would enjoy long-term economic stimulus.
“In the Republic of Moldova, such initiatives are absent, but if they existed, they would bring not only visibility but also considerable economic benefits for the entire mountain region.”, he added.
Responsibility and Collaboration
Another major point of the speech was related to self-responsibility of communities. Bulgac rejected the idea that development can only come from external support and emphasized that solutions must be built “from the bottom up.”
“We have a saying: salvation is in our own hands. If we always wait for someone else to help us, this is an illusion that sooner or later will bring us losses.”
In this regard, he called for the formation and strengthening of local clusters, which would unite community resources and initiatives in a common effort. Only through real collaboration between entrepreneurs, local administration, and civil society can a sustainable outcome be achieved.
Conclusion
The intervention of Edvard Bulgac at the Regional Economic Forum Moldova 2025 highlighted an essential theme for regional development: building a strong mountain economy from the bottom up, based on trust, collaboration, and local identity. His message, “salvation is in our own hands,” summarizes the responsibility of communities to valorize their own resources, to generate initiatives, and not to wait for solutions from outside.
The examples offered – from sports infrastructure to the development of economic clusters – demonstrate that opportunities exist, but they must be integrated into a common strategy in which entrepreneurs, local administrations, and civil society unite their efforts. Without such cohesion, investments remain isolated, and their impact on the community is limited.
Thus, Bulgac’s speech turned into a call for civic awareness and regional solidarity, stressing that progress is not an external promise but an internal construction that begins with each community. In the mountain economy, where traditions, natural resources, and local creativity are rich, success depends on how these elements are put together.
