Moldova’s new government, led by private equity investor Alexandru Munteanu, took his oath of office on November 1 after winning a confidence vote supported by 55 deputies from the ruling pro-EU Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS). 

With a fragile majority in the 101-MP parliament in Chisinau, the new cabinet has pledged to prioritise economic development and achieve the signing of an EU accession treaty by 2028, while pursuing peaceful reintegration with the separatist Transnistrian region, according to NewsMaker. 

Moldova has progressed rapidly towards EU accession after being accepted as a candidate country three years ago. It formally opened EU accession negotiations earlier this year. 

In his address to parliament on October 31, Munteanu said he would resign if Moldova failed to sign the EU treaty by the target date. He identified the lack of economic growth as the country’s main challenge, describing its impact as both social and psychological.

“We will work very hard so that a large part of the assistance we received from the European Union — and everyone knows, €1.9bn — is used not for consumption, but for investment,” he said during the session.

Munteanu’s programme centres on building an investment-oriented economy to sustain growth and align Moldova’s standards with those of the European Union. He emphasised that economic modernisation would underpin both EU integration and national reintegration efforts.

Newly appointed Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Valeriu Chiveri outlined plans for a gradual integration of the Transnistrian region “into the legal, economic, financial, customs, health, educational and informational spaces of the Republic of Moldova,” IPN reported. He stressed that the process would be “extensive and complex” and would require engagement across society.

“Our citizens live in the Transnistrian region. We need to provide them with public services just like we do for citizens on the right bank of the Dniester River,” Chiveri said in a video message outlining his priorities.

Munteanu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to an exclusively peaceful settlement of the Transnistrian conflict, rejecting any use of force. He noted that while Moldova’s accession to the EU could technically proceed without Transnistria, his administration’s objective was for the country to “enter the EU together”.