Moldova’s pro-Western government has resigned after 18 months in power following a series of economic and political events following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“It’s time to announce my resignation,” Prime Minister Natalya Gavrilita said at a press conference on Friday.
A few hours ago, the government contacted the Russian embassy and announced that a Russian missile had hit Moldovan airspace.
Moldovan intelligence said on Thursday that Russia was working to destabilize the country after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv had intercepted “a Russian intelligence plan to destroy Moldova”.
“Subversive activities aimed at undermining Moldova and violating public order have been detected,” Moldova’s Intelligence and Security Service (SIS) said in a statement.
The SIS statement said the agency could not provide more detailed information “due to the risk of impairing the performance of various ongoing operations”, adding that “the citizens of Moldova want to confirm that all administrations government functions”.
President Maya Sandhu accepted Gavrilita’s resignation. Despite the unprecedented challenges, the country is being managed responsibly and with great care and enthusiasm.
Sandhu’s security adviser, pro-European activist Doreen Racine, is expected to be replaced by San Cristobal.
The former Soviet republic, with a population of 2.5 million, has suffered a series of problems including soaring inflation, a massive influx of Ukrainian refugees, and a severe energy crisis with power outages following a power outage in Moscow.
Pro-Western Moldovan Prime Minister resigns after the war in Ukraine
Natalia Gavrilaita and her government reliably resigned on Friday, but a new government with a similar Western orientation is expected to be installed next week.
Moldova’s pro-Western government resigned on Friday after 18 months of prosperity, marked by economic and industrial unrest, and defections from Russia’s war against neighboring Ukraine.
President Maia Sandu accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Natalya Gavrilaita and appointed former interior minister and national security adviser Doreen Racine in her place.
Sandhu announced that he was ready with a party in parliament to discuss possible candidates for prime ministers.
Racine is expected to win parliamentary approval quickly as Sandhu’s PAS party has a comfortable majority of 63 seats out of 101. Congress is expected to vote next week to make the final nomination.
Risin served as Home Secretary in the cabinet from 2015 to 2012.
As Home Secretary, he was embroiled in a media scandal in which a phone conversation with the chief financial officer was revealed and he used very strong language.
In his final speech on Friday, Sandu, PAS leaders Igor Grosso and Risin highlighted the three main areas the new cabinet wants to focus on: training in public institutions, more investment and small business opportunities, and peace and stability.
Accelerating the process of European integration is also a priority. Moldova joined the European Union with Ukraine in June but resisted strong pressure from Moscow.
The time has come to announce his retirement and no one expects his government, elected in the summer of 2021, “to deal with the multiple crises created by Russia’s aggression in Ukraine”, Gavrylika said during a press conference.
“The anti-corruption, development, and pro-European government took over at a time when corruption schemes took over all institutions and the oligarchs felt the touch,” Gavrilita said. President Sandhu thanked Gavrilaita on Friday for his “great sacrifice and efforts to lead the country repeatedly”.
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