Moldovan government collapses, PM Natalia Gavrilita resigns over ‘crises caused by Russian aggression’

Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita announced her resignation at a news conference on Friday by saying that the “time has come for me to announce my resignation”. She also emphasised that no one could have expected her administration to “manage so many crises caused by Russian aggression”.

Gavrilita’s announcement came just hours after the government said that a Russian missile infiltrated Moldovan airspace and called on the Russian ambassador to convey the protest. On Thursday, Moldovan intelligence also accused Russia of acting to destabilise the nation. It followed Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claiming that his country had intercepted a “plan for the destruction of Moldova” by Russian intelligence.




Moldova’s President Maia Sandu accepted PM Natalia Gavrilita’s resignation and thanked her for “enormous service and efforts to lead the country in a time of so many crises”. Hailing PM’s leadership, Sandu said that despite the “unprecedented challenges”, the country was governed responsibly with dedicated work.

Moldova’s next prime minister could be Dorin Recean who is Sandu’s pro-European security adviser. Recean is expected to be approved as the prime minister of the nation without any disruptions, as per reports.

It is pertinent to mention that Moldova, the former Soviet republic with a population of 2.5 million people has already suffered a range of issues such as rising inflation, a massive influx of refugees from Ukraine along with severe energy crisis combined with power cuts in the wake of Russia-Ukraine war as Moscow significantly reduced its supplies to Moldova. Just last year, the country witnessed protests over a dramatic increase in prices, especially for Russian gas. Moldova lies between Ukraine and Romania.

FAQs

1. How old is Natalia Gavrilita?
   41 years
2. When was Natalia Gavrilita appointed as Moldova’s PM?
   In August 2021 after her party, PAS won the elections.