Moldova’s Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu announced his surprise resignation on Friday a move that automatically triggered the resignation of the pro-Western government.
Munteanu did not give a clear reason for his decision, which comes less than a year after he was sworn in to lead the European Union candidate country’s government following a closely fought election.
“Today I end my term as prime minister,” Munteanu wrote in a statement posted on social media. “The moment I understand that I can no longer exercise my mandate in accordance with my principles and beliefs, I choose to walk away.”
“I accepted the proposal to be prime minister with a lot of responsibility and strong conviction that I can contribute to changing things for the better,” he added,
Munteanu’s government will continue in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is formed.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu thanked Munteanu for his leadership through a “complex period” for Moldova. However, she added that she wanted “more involvement in complicated decisions, more openness to listening to people.”
“Next week, I will listen to the parliamentary groups to appoint a new prime minister. We must have a united, strong team in the Government that will fulfill our country’s objective,” she said.
“We are obliged to succeed in taking Moldova into the EU and helping the country.”
Moldova lies between EU and NATO member Romania and Ukraine, It proclaimed independence when the Soviet Union collapsed.
In recent years it has become a geopolitical battleground between Russia and Europe.
