Moldova
Dorin Recean takes office amid 30% inflation and warnings of Russia’s plan to “destroy” the country
Thursday 16 February 2023 at 18:54 GMT
Moldova’s parliament has approved the formation of a pro-Western government led by new Prime Minister Dorin Recean amid ongoing economic turmoil and allegations of Russian interference.
Recean, 48, has been nominated by President Maia Sandu to replace Natalia Gavrilita, whose government resigned last week amid a spate of crises following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Sandu has repeatedly accused Russia of trying to destabilize Moldova and on Monday accused Moscow of overthrowing the country’s leadership, preventing EU accession and using it in the war against Ukraine.
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Her comments came after Moldova’s intelligence service reported last week that it had identified “subversive activity” after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kiev had intercepted a “plan to destroy Moldova” by Russian intelligence.
Tensions have risen on the streets of Chisinau and other cities amid a series of unusual incidents. Moldovan airspace was temporarily closed after authorities spotted an unidentified flying object near the northern city of Soroca and missile debris from Russian airstrikes on neighboring Ukraine fell inside Moldovan borders.
Even an annual march by veterans of the Soviet campaign in Afghanistan, where some 13,000 Moldovans fought, caused concern amid persistent concerns that the country could be drawn into the conflict in Ukraine.
“It will be almost a year since I woke up and heard bombs [from neighbouring Ukraine]said Svetlana, 37, a seamstress from a Chisinau suburb. “I’m trying not to watch the news now or I can’t sleep at night. My mother used to like Putin and now she prays for his death every day.”
In response to the growing unrest, police patrols have been stepped up and the Home Office has released a map of bomb shelters.
Valeriu Paşa of the WatchDog think tank said that while Russia is unlikely to overthrow the government, it could still sow further instability. “The risk of destabilization attempts is medium. They can cause damage, but not a total collapse of the state,” he said. “The authorities need to be more transparent in making people aware of the security risks.”
For many Moldovans, however, the daily economic struggle is a more immediate concern. Inflation is 30%, the highest in Europe, and the average monthly salary is just MDL9,900 (£495). A recent poll showed that 44% of the population were concerned about a war in Ukraine, but 48% were concerned about high prices.
“I want them to let us live. We may not live well, but let’s just live,” said Ecaterina Fieraru, 68, from Băcioi, a village near Chisinau. “A 1,000 MDL [£45] Retirement is hard to live with.” Even with her husband’s salary, Fieraru only gets by with money transfers from her daughter, who has been working in a hotel in Italy for eight years.
Prior to 2022, the former Soviet republic imported almost all of its gas and electricity from Russia and Transnistria, a breakaway region in eastern Moldova where 1,500 Russian soldiers are stationed. As the two reduced supplies over the past year and the government bought western power at higher prices, bills have skyrocketed by as much as 600%.
With the help of grants from Europe and the US, the government has been able to partially subsidize bills, but opposition parties have tried to capitalize on economic concerns. The pro-Kremlin parties Șor and BECS have organized a series of demonstrations in which mostly elderly protesters waved signs in Russian and Romanian accusing the government of corruption and mismanagement.
The opposition faced allegations that some of the protesters were being paid to appear, but the economic crisis undoubtedly contributed to the decline in Sandu’s government’s popularity.
Recean, the new prime minister, has shifted the focus from efforts to fight corruption to reviving the economy and accelerating reforms for EU integration after Moldova gained candidate status last year.
“We need a more active, faster economic restart because we had a dramatic economic slump late last year, and we need balanced, smart policies to help businesses while controlling inflation,” Paşa said.
Many Moldovans are now emigrating or thinking about it. “My mortgage used to cost me 1,500 MDL [£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 expenses, works as a taxi driver in Chisinau. He blames the authorities for raising interest rates from 6% to 19% in 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 isn’t kneeling to Putin – the cost of living rise starts with him.”
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