Moldovan govt led by Munteanu gets vote of confidence from parliament
CHISINAU. Oct 31 (Interfax) - The Moldovan government led by the economic and businessman Alexandru Munteanu has received a vote of confidence from the parliament, an Interfax correspondent reported on Friday.
All 55 parliamentarians from the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) voted on Friday evening to approve the government and its program. None of the opposition parliamentarians voted. During the vote, 88 deputies out of the total 101 were in attendance.
The parliamentary session to approve the government continued for over nine hours, practically non-stop. Munteanu spent nearly six hours in the rostrum, fielding almost 100 questions from 50 deputies. Another 23 deputies spoke during the debate of the government's composition and program.
On the basis of a vote of confidence the president formally appoints a government, which assumes office the day it is sworn in before the president. The official swearing-in will take place on Friday evening.
The government consists of 16 ministers: Vladimir Bolea, Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure and Regional Development Minister; Mihai Popsoi, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister; Eugen Osmochescu, Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Development and Digitization Minister; Cristina Gherasimov, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration; Valeriu Chiveri, Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration; Dorin Junghietu, Energy Minister; Daniella Misail-Nichitin, Interior Minister; Ludmila Catlabuga, Agriculture and Food Industry Minister; Vladislav Cojuhari, Justice Minister; Andrian Gavrilita, Finance Minister; Natalia Plugaru, Labor and Social Protection Minister; Emil Ceban, Health Minister; Gheorghe Hajder, Minister for the Environment; Cristian Jardin, Culture Minister; Dan Perciun, Education and Research Minister; and Anatole Nosatii, Defense Minister.
The main objective of the new government's program is to finish the negotiation and apply for European Union membership by 2028.
Munteanu said he would resign if he fails to achieve that goal. At the same time, "I see myself as a fighter who will fight until the end" because "if Moldova fails to become an EU member, it will be bad for everyone," Munteanu said.
Before accession to the EU, the government is going "to ensure specific benefits for citizens: big investments, highly paid jobs" and so on.
Munteanu is 61 years old. He is an economist, university teacher and businessman known for his work in investment and involvement in international educational and cultural projects. He is a citizen of Moldova, Romania and the United State. Munteanu is fluent in Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, English and French. He has two grown-up sons who live and work in the U.S.
Since 2007 Munteanu led the department of direct investment at Dragon Capital (Ukraine), and in 2016 founded an investment firm called 4i Capital Partners, which operates in Eastern Europe. He was also involved with the business cooperation council under Stability Pact (Vienna), and co-chaired and chaired the trustees' board of the Pechersk School International in Kiev. Over the past 20 years Munteanu lived and worked in Kiev, with infrequent visits to Moldova. He admitted having been persuaded to lead the government by Moldovan President Maia Sandu.
