Moldova's parliament today adopted a government proposal to introduce a state of emergency in the energy sector due to fears that Russia could leave the country without sufficient supplies of natural gas during the coming winter.
A majority of lawmakers voted to impose a state of emergency, which will begin on December 16 and last for 60 days, according to the Associated Press.
The special commission will urgently adopt measures to manage "imminent risks" if Moscow stops supplying gas to the Kučiurgan power plant, located in the pro-Russian region of Transnistria, which unilaterally declared independence in 1990.
Russian energy giant Gazprom supplies gas to the Kučiurgan power plant, where electricity is produced for a significant part of Moldova. That power plant was privatized in 2004 by Transnistrian officials and later sold to a Russian state company. The Moldovan government in Chisinau does not recognize this privatization.
In late 2022, Moldova faced major power outages following Russian strikes on neighboring Ukraine, which is connected to the Kuciurgan power plant.
Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said his country was facing an "emergency situation" as Moscow could deliberately use the gas supply as a means to destabilize the country and potentially leave Moldovans "without heating and electricity in the middle of winter".
"This must be the last winter in the history of Moldova where we can be threatened because of energy. It is clear that these crises are deliberately provoked, and their goal is to create panic and chaos," Recean said.
He said that the suspension of the supply of natural gas could cause an economic and humanitarian crisis, but he promised that no one in Moldova would be left "in the cold and in the dark".
The decision to introduce a state of emergency was made by the government on Wednesday, based on the proposal of the Commission for Emergency Situations. During the state of emergency, that commission will be able to adopt emergency measures in order to redirect funds and to coordinate the necessary activities in order to prevent consequences for the population, according to Moldpres agency.
Transnistria, whose self-declared independence is not recognized by most countries, also declared a state of emergency this Sunday in case the region does not receive gas.
Moldova also has reason to worry about Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. The electricity interconnection between the Romanian town of Isaccha, in Dobrudja, and Moldova's Vulcanesti partly passes through the territory of Ukraine, which makes it vulnerable and in the event of new Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure there is a risk of the network being cut off.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Moldova, a former Soviet republic of about 2,5 million people, was entirely dependent on Moscow for natural gas, but has since sought to diversify and expand its energy sources.
Romanian Energy Minister Sebastian Burduža said late last night that Romania has the resources to support Moldova "if the situation calls for it", saying it would be "a duty due to the aggressions coming from the east".
The pro-Western president of Moldova, Maja Sandu, secured a new presidential mandate in the elections in October, and in the referendum, the majority voted for the continuation of the country's European path. Both the election and the referendum were overshadowed by allegations of Russian interference, with the aim of changing Moldova's foreign policy orientation, which Moscow denies.
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