Moldova’s pro-EU prime minister quits suddenly

Moldovan Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu announced that he was leaving his post with a surprise statement that triggered the resignation of the government.

Munteanu, who has served as prime minister since November 2025, did not provide a full explanation for his decision.

“Today my term as prime minister ends,” he said in a post on X on Friday.

“I chose to resign when I realized that I could no longer fulfill my duties in accordance with my principles and beliefs.”

The move represents a challenge to a second consecutive term for President Maia Sandu and her ruling pro-European Action and Solidarity Party (PAS).

According to Moldovan parliamentary procedure, Sandu will hold consultations with parliamentary groups and then nominate his candidate for prime minister.

Munteanu, 62, was appointed following parliamentary elections in September 2025, in which PAS inflicted a landslide defeat on a Russia-leaning rival and received a new mandate to pursue Moldova’s European Union bid.

Before that, he worked outside Moldova for nearly 20 years, including at the World Bank.

“I will continue to serve my country no matter what position I hold,” he said.

Located between Ukraine and EU member Romania, Moldova is a candidate for EU membership.

Political power in the country, which has a Romanian-speaking majority and a large Russian-speaking minority, has oscillated for decades between parties that support closer ties with Europe and those that want better relations with Moscow.