State of emergency in Moldova extended for another 60 days

CHISINAU. July 31 (Interfax) - The Moldovan parliament on Monday decided to prolong the existing state of emergency in the country by another 60 days, starting August 4.

The move has been backed by lawmakers representing the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (55 out of 101 parliament seats), while the faction of the opposition Bloc of Communists and Socialists has boycotted the parliament session in protest against the parliamentary majority dismissing all the opposition's initiatives.

Speaking in parliament, Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean cited the ongoing Ukraine conflict when explaining the motivation behind the measure.

Under the current circumstances, "it is possible that the inflow of refugees, including people who will seek asylum in Moldova or will be crossing its territory in order to reach a safer place in an EU member country, will grow," he said.

As arguments for prolonging the state of emergency, the explanatory note to the parliament resolution has cited direct threats of Moldovan airspace violation, "the persisting risk of a nuclear disaster at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant" and some others. Besides, according to the Moldovan government, there remains a risk for Ukraine's gas and other energy infrastructure, which can also affect the situation in Moldova.

"The government believes it is necessary to prolong the state of emergency in order to have an opportunity to promptly intervene in case any decisions are needed in addition to those envisaged by the current regulatory framework," Recean said.

Moldova has been under a state of emergency since February 24, 2022. The state of emergency has since been extended eight times for 60 days and once for 45 days. The last extension was voted in early June, under which the state of emergency was due to expire on August 4.