Munteanu’s tenure as Moldova’s government head was marred by scandals affecting its ministries and state-owned enterprises.
Last month, Dumitru Vangeli, head of the MOLDATSA civil aviation safety agency, was dismissed after it was found that his university diploma and pilot’s license were forged. On Thursday, Agriculture Ministry State Secretary Tatiana Nistorică was detained on bribery suspicion.
Vangeli publicly denied the accusations, while Nistorică has yet to comment on her situation.
At a press conference following Munteanu’s resignation, Sandu expressed her expectation for “greater involvement in difficult decisions, a stronger public presence to listen to people’s concerns.” She also countered Munteanu’s implication of not having freedom to tackle the country’s challenges.
“Speculation that he wanted to combat abuses but was not permitted to do so is false,” she stated. “The prime minister had a free hand to run the government as he saw fit.”
The president announced she would consult with party leaders next week to appoint the next prime minister, focusing on pro-European policies. “Moldova’s path remains unchanged: reforms and EU accession,” she wrote on X.
Moldova was accepted as an EU accession candidate in 2022, and last month, the bloc’s member countries voted to open the first set of accession negotiations with Chișinău. Sandu has been the prominent figure in the pro-EU movement, opposing the pro-Russian Party of Socialists, the country’s second-largest party.
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