By Alexander Tanas
CHISINAU, July 11 (Reuters) – Moldova’s pro-European President Maia Sandu has nominated 44-year-old financier Vasile Tofan to be the country’s prime minister, Sandu told a press conference on Saturday.
Tofan supported Sandu in her 2024 bid for re-election and her Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) in last year’s parliamentary election. He is a senior partner at investment firm Horizon Capital.
Alexandru Munteanu, the previous prime minister, said early this month he was stepping down after only eight months.
In a surprise announcement, he said he could no longer do his job in accordance with his convictions, but did not give further details.
Sandu at the time thanked Munteanu for his service and for initiating “difficult but needed reforms”.
Tofan said on Saturday he had three main goals: restoring public trust, restoring a sense of optimism to Moldovan businesses and securing Moldova’s accession to the European Union.
“The goal of my government is to sign an agreement on Moldova’s accession to the EU by the end of 2028,” he told a press conference.
“I intend to last more than eight months,” he added.
Sandu gave Tofan 15 days to come up with a cabinet and a government programme and present it to parliament. His approval by the chamber is almost certain as PAS holds 55 of the 101 seats.
All but one of Moldova’s opposition parties declined Sandu’s invitation to take part in consultations on the nomination of the new premier, dismissing the process as a fait accompli.
Moldova, one of Europe’s poorest countries, has been accepted along with Ukraine as a candidate for European Union membership and has started the process of negotiations to ensure legislation and democratic institutions meet EU standards.
Moldova is nestled between Ukraine and EU member Romania. It has a Romanian-speaking majority and a large Russian-speaking minority.
Political power has oscillated for decades between parties supporting closer ties with Europe and those seeking better relations with Moscow.
(Reporting by Alexander Tanas in Chisinau, writing by Max HunderEditing by Tomasz Janowski, Barbara Lewis, Ron Popeski and Cynthia Osterman)
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