Moldova’s government collapsed on Friday and its pro-EU prime minister has stepped down after 18 months citing „multiple crises.”
Outgoing Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita said that when her government was elected in 2021, no one expected it would have to manage „so many crises caused by Russian aggression in Ukraine”.
President Maia Sandu nominated her former defense adviser Dorin Recean – who is also pro-EU – as the next prime minister. The Moldovan parliament is expected to confirm his nomination next week.
With the war raging in neighboring Ukraine, Moldova has been facing inflation, high energy prices, a refugee influx and Russian aggression.
The news came a few hours after Russian missiles flew over Moldovan airspace.
Moldova shares a 1,200 km border with Ukraine, and has suffered from the fallout of Russia’s invasion.
„I took over the government with an anti-corruption, pro-development and pro-European mandate at a time when corruption schemes had captured all the institutions and the oligarchs felt untouchable,” she said at a news conference.
„We were immediately faced with energy blackmail, and those who did this hoped that we would give in,” she said, referring to the Kremlin.
An energy crisis was sparked last year when Russia suddenly reduced its gas supplies to Moldova, which relied 100% on Russia for gas. It caused inflation to skyrocket and there was public unrest over the high energy costs.
President Sandu thanked Ms Gavrilita for her „enormous sacrifice and efforts to lead the country in a time of so many crises”.
„We have stability, peace and development, where others wanted war and bankruptcy,” the president said.After Russia invaded Ukraine, there were fears the conflict would spill over into Moldova, or that Russia might invade it too.
Moldova is moving closer to joining the European Union and pressure has increased from Russia, which has tried to undermine the former Soviet state and EU influence.
On Thursday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia had a plan to „destroy” Moldova, according to Ukrainian intelligence.
Moldovan intelligence services confirmed they had also identified „subversive activities” aimed at „undermining the state of the Republic of Moldova, destabilizing and violating public order.”
