Moldova’s Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu has stepped down, a move that triggered the resignation of the entire government. Munteanu, who had held the post since November 2025, said he chose to leave once he felt he could no longer carry out his mandate in line with his principles.
His departure came amid mounting scrutiny over misconduct at state-owned enterprises. A scandal at the state aviation company exposed falsified credentials from its director and irregular hiring practices, including a relative of the president who received sharp salary increases.
President Maia Sandu will now consult parliamentary groups to nominate a successor, with Munteanu remaining in a caretaker role until a replacement takes office. The crisis has tested the stability of the pro-European ruling party’s second term.
The episode underscores the fragility of governance in a small state navigating between European integration and external pressure, where questions of transparency and accountability carry outsized political weight.
For the European Union, which has championed Moldova’s accession path, the upheaval is a test of whether one of its aspiring members can sustain clean governance under the strain of domestic scandal and outside interference.
