A new Prime Minister in Moldova

Bucharest has taken note of the endorsement of the new Government of the Republic of Moldova, whose agenda has a powerful social and economic component.

România Internațional, 19.02.2015, 13:40

The Parliament of the Republic of Moldova has avoided early elections, by giving its vote of confidence to the government headed by businessman Chiril Gaburici, supported by a minority alliance made up of two pro-European parties, the Liberal Democratic Party and the Democratic Party, but also by the communists. Gaburici was proposed Prime Minister by the Liberal Democratic Party, following Iurie Leancas failure last week to get a majority of favorable votes from Moldovan MPs. The new cabinet, approved with 60 votes in favour, out of a total of 101, gathering most members of the previous cabinet, has been sworn in before the president of the country, Nicolae Timofti. The president has stated that Parliament has thus conveyed a powerful message that the Republic of Moldova has entered a period of political stability. Here is Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici talking about the new governments goals:

“The government will ensure continuity with regard to promoting democratic values, reforms and European integration. Strengthening the rule of law will be an absolute priority for this government. Eliminating all barriers hindering the good functioning of the business environment is another major goal. Also, the fight against corruption will be high on our agenda.”

Chiril Gaburici talked about improving the business environment and removing all obstacles that prevent the economy from growing. He also stressed the need for the Republic of Moldova to keep getting closer to the EU, but also the importance of strengthening ties with traditional allies, of carrying on negotiations on the Transdniestr issue and the withdrawal of Russian troops from Moldovan soil. Iurie Leanca, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party, did not vote in favour of the new government, because, he said, a minority government, based on an alliance with the communists, would affect the commitment to European integration and the implementation of effective reforms. Iurie Leanca:

“Today is a day when we have taken a step backwards on our road to European accession. We have a minority government built on the basis of a coalition with the communist party, whose democratic principles and respect for the rule of law, just like its commitment to European integration and genuine reforms, are debatable, to say the least.”

The new Moldovan government took office against a rather complicated economic background, with both imports and exports dropping, and with a financial and banking market getting more unstable by the day. Since the beginning of the year, the Moldovan currency has depreciated by over 30% against the USD and the Euro, and prices have gone up.