Moldovan MPs approve pro-western PM amid tensions over Russia

Moldova’s parliament has approved the formation of a pro-western government led by the new prime minister, Dorin Recean, amid continuing economic turmoil and allegations of Russian meddling.

Recean, 48, was nominated by President Maia Sandu to replace Natalia Gavrilita, whose government resigned last week amid a series of crises in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Sandu repeatedly accused Russia of trying to destabilise Moldova and on Monday accused Moscow of plotting to topple the country’s leadership, stop it joining the EU and use it in the war against Ukraine.

Her comments came after Moldova’s intelligence service reported last week that it had identified “subversive activities”, after Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said Kyiv had intercepted a “plan for the destruction of Moldova” by Russian intelligence.

On the streets of Chișinău and other cities, tensions have ratcheted up amid a string of unusual incidents. Moldovan airspace was temporarily closed after authorities spotted an unidentified flying object near the northern town of Soroca, and missile debris from Russian airstrikes on neighbouring Ukraine has fallen inside Moldova’s borders.

Even an annual march by veterans of the Soviet campaign in Afghanistan, where about 13,000 Moldovans fought, caused disquiet amid lingering concerns that the country could get drawn into the conflict in Ukraine.

“It will soon be a year since I woke up hearing bombs [from neighbouring Ukraine],” said Svetlana, 37, a seamstress from a Chișinău suburb. “I try to avoid watching the news now, otherwise I can’t sleep at night. My mother used to like Putin and now she prays for his death every day.”

In response to growing unease, police patrols have been stepped up and the interior ministry released an map of bomb shelters.

Valeriu Pașa, of the WatchDog thinktank, said that while Russia was unlikely to bring down the government, it could still sow further instability. “The risk of attempts of destabilisation is medium-sized. They may cause damages but not a total state overthrow,” he said. “The authorities will need to be more transparent in order to make people aware of the security risks.”

For many Moldovans, however, the day-to-day economic struggle is a more immediate concern. Inflation is at 30%, the highest in Europe, and the average monthly salary is just MDL 9,900 (£495). A recent survey showed that while 44% of the population was worried about war in Ukraine, 48% were concerned over high prices.

“I want them to let us live. We may not live well, but just let us live,” said Ecaterina Fieraru, 68, from Băcioi, a village near Chișinău. “A 1,000 MDL [£45] pension is hard to live off.” Even with her husband’s salary, Fieraru is only able to get by with help from remittances from her daughter, who has been working in a hotel in Italy for eight years.

Before 2022, the former Soviet republic imported almost all of its gas and electricity from Russia and Transnistria, a breakaway region in the east of Moldova where 1,500 Russian soldiers are stationed. As the two reduced supplies last year and the government bought energy from the west at higher prices, bills have shot up by as much as 600%.

With the help of financial aid from Europe and the US, the government was able to partly subsidise bills, but opposition parties have attempted to capitalise on economic concerns. The pro-Kremlin Șor and BECS parties have organised a string of demonstrations in which mainly elderly protesters have brandished signs in Russian and Romanian accusing the government of corruption and mismanagement.

The opposition has faced allegations that some of the demonstrators were paid to show up, but the economic crisis undoubtedly contributed to the falling popularity of Sandu’s government.

Recean, the new prime minister, has shifted focus from efforts to fight corruption towards reviving the economy and accelerating reforms for EU integration, after Moldova gained candidate status last year.

“We need a more active, rapid economic relaunch because we had a dramatic economic fall at the end of last year, and we require some balanced, intelligent policies to help business, while controlling inflation,” Pașa said.

Meanwhile, many Moldovans are emigrating, or considering it. “My mortgage used to cost me MDL 1,500 [£68] per month and now I’m paying MDL 8,500 [£386],” said Victor, 27. With a newborn at home, he struggles to cover his costs, working as a taxi driver in Chișinău. He blames the authorities for the increase in the bank rate from 6% to 19% within two years. “I think they just want us to leave the country.”

Others blame Russia for the economic crisis. “We need patience,” said Mihail Stegărescu, 65, a minibus driver. “Prices are high, but at least the government doesn’t kneel before Putin – the rise in the cost of living starts with him.”