Moldovan President Maia Sandu has nominated former Minister of the Interior Dorin Recean as Moldova’s Prime Minister after Natalia Gavrilita stepped down just a year and a half into her government’s mandate, thus triggering the resignation of the entire cabinet and plunging the Republic of Moldova into a sudden political crisis as war rages in neighboring Ukraine, reports Radio Free Europe.
Sandu wasted no time in making the appointment, just hours after Gavrilita announced she was stepping down after 18 turbulent months in power that were shadowed by the conflict in Ukraine. That war has at times threatened to spill over into Moldova, which has warned that Moscow, which maintains troops in the breakaway region of Transdniester, may try to destabilize the country.
Officials in Chisinau confirmed earlier on February 10 that a Russian missile had violated Moldovan airspace and that Russia’s ambassador had been summoned in protest.
„In spite of unprecedented challenges, the country was governed responsibly, with a lot of attention and dedicated work. We have stability, peace, and development – where others wanted war and bankruptcy,” Sandu posted on Facebook announcing she had accepted the resignation.
Recean, who has been a defense adviser to Sandu as the secretary of Moldova’s Security Council, now has 14 days to propose a new government to parliament.
Sandu said the new government will have a mission to accelerate cleanup of the justice system, the fight against corruption, and economic growth.
„2023 will be a year of reconstruction”, she declared.
Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russia has drastically cut gas deliveries to Europe in response to Western sanctions over its invasion, triggering an energy crisis at the onset of winter. This has particularly affected Moldova, which relies predominantly on Russia for its gas supplies. Russian gas deliveries to the country have been slashed and regular electricity imports have dried up, leading to blackouts and leaving many residents unable to pay their bills – and prompting streets protests – due to rising inflation and energy costs in the middle of winter.
Gavrilita, a former finance minister, became prime minister in August 2021 after her pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity won snap elections in July 2021 that gave her a majority in parliament with a mandate to clean up corruption.
Moldova still has around 1,500 Russian troops stationed at a former Soviet depot in its breakaway region of Transdniester that have remained officially as part of a peacekeeping contingent since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Vulnerable Republic of Moldova trembles considering Russian aggression
