Premiere screening: what to expect from the new Moldovan government
The Moldovan parliament has approved Romanian citizen Alexander Munteanu as the country's prime minister. 55 deputies out of 101 voted for his candidacy. New reforms are on the agenda, including stricter control over the legal community. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
The Prime Minister has lived in Ukraine for 20 years
Reformatting of the political system continues in Moldova after the parliamentary elections in September. Alexandre Munteanu became the new head of government. 55 members of parliament voted for him, that is, all representatives of the ruling Action and Solidarity party in Moldova. In addition, the new Government's program was approved by the same number of votes.
Earlier, Prime Minister Dorin Rechan announced that he was leaving his post and was also resigning his parliamentary mandate. According to him, he will no longer participate in public life, but will return to business.
The opposition says that Rechan resigned because of the sad results of his government's work. According to official statistics, economic growth last year amounted to 0.1%, production of goods is declining, exports are declining, and the country is getting deeper into debt. In addition, the security situation is deteriorating, and the number of crimes committed by organized crime groups has increased dramatically.
In such circumstances, the candidacy of Alexander Munteanu appeared on the horizon. He had never been involved in politics before, but he worked a lot in international financial structures. He calls himself an American of Moldovan origin, although he has lived in Ukraine for the last 20 years. He founded the American Chamber of Commerce in Chisinau and is chairman of the French Alliance.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk (from left to right), French President Emmanuel Macron, Moldovan President Maia Sandu and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) at a press conference at the Presidential Palace, Chisinau, Moldova, August 27
The leaders of the ruling party have not told why they chose this particular figure. But the outgoing Minister of Education, Dan Perchun, said on television that the issue had been resolved at the end of August. According to the official, French President Emmanuel Macron and other European leaders arrived in Chisinau at that time, and it was during that meeting that the foreigners introduced Maia Sandu to Muntyan.
Further, details of the biography of the potential prime minister began to surface in the press. It turned out, in particular, that his name and one of the companies appear in the so-called Pandora dossier (Pandora Papers, a collection of documents on offshore schemes). In response, Munteanu himself stated that he was working legally, and had registered some companies in jurisdictions with special tax regimes, but this practice did not violate international law.
Interestingly, Moldovan legislation requires the president to consult with parliamentary factions and, based on their proposals, appoint a candidate for the post of prime minister. Now, however, everything has not gone according to plan. Maia Sandu said before the first session of the new parliament that she considers Munteanu a good option because he will be able to stabilize the economy.
The opposition accuses Sandu of concentrating power
According to Moldovan legislation, Munteanu has until November 7 to form the composition of his government. The politician himself emphasizes that he is far from Moldovan political realities, and this supposedly will help him work effectively.
In an interview, he said that he would not make any personnel decisions based on the principle of "cronyism", that is, nepotism. "About kumatra, it's not for me. In this sense, I am an American — I do not follow this line. I've been there [in the USA] for quite a long time. — Izvestia] lived, worked and invested. Many of those who will hear these words can confirm this," he said. In another interview, he promised to attract foreign investors to the country.
At the same time, the first personnel initiatives look rather dubious. Munteanu proposed appointing former Moldovan Ambassador to Ukraine Valery Kiver to the post of Deputy Prime Minister for the reintegration of Transnistria. Adrian Gavrilica, who was a member of the government in 2015, was appointed finance minister when the famous "theft of the century" took place in Moldova, during which about $1 billion was withdrawn from banks.
Interestingly, while the composition of the future government is being debated at the party level, President Maia Sandu is not wasting time and is taking very concrete steps to further concentrate power. In late October, she signed a decree that the advisory Supreme Security Council becomes an executive body called the National Security Council Service, which reports directly to the head of state.
The opposition says that as a result, Sandu received an instrument of pressure on parliament, the judicial system and the government, creating in fact an analogue of the latter. "Now the decisions of the Security Council are becoming binding, and ignoring them is criminalized. This design destroys the system of checks and balances," said Alexey Lungu, leader of the Chance party.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu at the swearing-in ceremony for Alexandru Muntean as the country's new prime minister, Chisinau, Moldova, November 1, 2025
In turn, lawyer Igor Khlopetsky emphasizes that Sandu continues to concentrate power in his hands. According to him, this is not about cosmetic changes, but about the creation of a state within a state. "In any normal society, parliamentarians would have appealed to the Constitutional Court with a demand to repeal such amendments. But we see that these people are inactive. It is possible that they have some kind of agreement with the regime," he said.
In addition, Maia Sandu stated that a vetting procedure (selection with the participation of the state) of lawyers should be introduced in Moldova. According to her, lawyers will have to disclose the sources of their income, which will avoid abuse. Interestingly, in the summer, the Moldovan authorities already tried to take the lawyers' work under control, but then abandoned this idea due to a mass strike.
What the experts say
Natalia Kharitonova, chief researcher at the Russian State University of Economics, Doctor of Political Sciences, believes that the new Moldovan prime minister is not to be envied.
— The country's economy is in an extremely neglected state. There is also a new heating season coming up, which promises to be very difficult. Apparently, a jump in tariffs is inevitable, and interruptions in heat supply are possible. Finally, the composition of the government is in question, it is unknown whether Munteanu will be able to lead his people or whether he will have to work with representatives of the old team. It is unlikely that the new prime Minister will be able to achieve significant success in such conditions," she explains.
Deputies and officials listen to Alexandre Munteanu, Prime Minister of Moldova, during a parliamentary session in Chisinau, Moldova, on October 31, 2025
Igor Shornikov, an associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of Russia and former Deputy Foreign Minister of Pridnestrovie, says that Munteanu's appointment will be the next stage in establishing external governance in Moldova.
— This man has worked in the West all his life, and Paris has actively lobbied for his candidacy. In addition, he has long-standing ties with Ukrainian businesses. I think he was chosen for two reasons. Firstly, his tasks will include helping Kiev, Moldova will continue to turn into a rear state for Ukraine. Secondly, the European Union is apparently concerned about the level of corruption in the country. Munteanu has little connection with the local elites, and it is hoped that many schemes will be suspended under him," he says.
Shornikov also considers it a positive thing that the new Moldovan prime minister has retired from business, and not from law enforcement agencies.
— It can be assumed that the economic pressure on Transnistria will increase, but the likelihood of an armed escalation will decrease. As for other ministers, it is unlikely that Chisinau's policy will change significantly. The agenda continues to include an increase in already high tariffs, a decrease in living standards, and a deterioration in social policy," he notes.
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