Change in Moldovan government: Causes and consequences
Caliber.Az from Chisinau

INTERVIEWS  13 February 2023 - 17:58

The Moldovan government undergoes a transformation. Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita has resigned and Dorin Recean, the head of the Security Council, has taken over. Both represent the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity, which is backed by President Maia Sandu.

"Dorin Recean has been nominated as a prime ministerial candidate," Sandu told a briefing after consultations with parliamentary faction leaders.

According to the law, Recean must present the composition and programme of the new cabinet to parliament for approval within two weeks.

Gavrilita herself, in her final press conference, stressed that her team had achieved many goals. In particular, the previous government was able to maintain calm in Transnistria, get through the refugee crisis as well as the gas crisis, increase salaries, and advance in the issue of European integration.

"The roads have been commissioned, and we have implemented many projects, including those related to the energy sector. A lot of money has been allocated to support business. The most important thing that has been achieved is that Moldova has become a candidate for EU membership," Gavrilita emphasized.

The new government will be formed by the pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS). It is the party that controls the Moldovan parliament.

"The PAS faction will ensure the formation of the new government, which will focus on security and economic development issues," PAS leader Igor Grosu said.

At the same time, he thanked the Gavrilita government for its work. "Despite the severity of the challenges, the country has been managed responsibly, with great care and dedication," he said.

Grosu is confident that thanks to the work of the cabinet, the country has "maintained peace and stability".

What was the reason for replacing Gavrilita? Was she unable to cope with some specific tasks set by the president? Or has Moldova approached some new problems, according to which the government should be headed by a person with experience of work with special services? How can we assess the performance of Gavrilita and is there any expectation in Moldova with the appearance of Recean as prime minister? Or maybe it is because of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the risks which threaten Moldova in this connection? Or are there some other reasons?

Prominent Moldovan analysts answered these questions for Caliber.Az.

Political commentator Victor Ciobanu pointed out that a change of government was called for because of a number of accumulated problems amid growing citizen discontent due to record inflation and rising energy prices.

"Although the Gavrilita government has generally coped decently in the face of several overlapping crises, the logic of the current moment requires more decisiveness and dynamism. Not least, a slightly different profile of the prime minister was required (Gavrilita is a financier) due to increased security risks and challenges. Therefore, the appointment of Recean (Secretary of the Security Council and former Interior Minister) is quite logical. President Zelenskyy's announcement in the European Parliament that he had intercepted a plan by the Russian secret services to destabilise Moldova also played a role in favour of this choice. Until the end of the war in Ukraine, security issues will remain at the top of the government's agenda," Ciobanu said.

Vitaly Andrievsky, a doctor of history and director of the Institute for Effective Politics, stressed that Gavrilita's government was a government "putting out fires" and "patching up holes".

"It had to go through many circles of hell. First, the covid. Then the war in Ukraine, the breakdown of trade links, and the influx of refugees. Then the energy crisis. And as a result of all this - rising prices, inflation.

Admittedly, they have managed to cope with some of the problems, for better or for worse (keywords). But their big weakness was that they could not break out of the circle and lived for today. Their motto was, 'We need to make it through the day and make it through the night'. All this is not enough today. It is necessary to breathe new life and new meanings into the work of the government," the expert believes.

According to him, what prime ministerial candidate Dorin Recean is proposing meets these new challenges.

"Firstly, the creation of a system of government work, executive discipline, and control over the implementation of tasks.

Second, breakthroughs in the economy, attracting investment, and creating new jobs. And third, security.

Certainly, European integration remains a priority.

Will the new prime minister be able to cope with it? There is no answer to this question yet. There are expectations, there are hopes. I think we will see the results in a couple of months. Or the lack of results," Andrievsky concluded.

Caliber.Az