Moldovan parliament elects businessman Vasile Tofan as new prime minister

The pro-Western majority in Moldova's parliament today elected businessman and investor Vasile Tofan as prime minister, entrusting the political newcomer with the task of moving the country forward towards joining the European Union.

Tofan (44), who is supported by Moldovan President Maia Sandu and her Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), was elected with 53 votes, with 21 votes against and 21 abstentions in the 101-member Parliament.

Tofan was most recently a senior partner at the Ukraine-based investment firm Horizon Capital, holds a master's degree in business administration from Harvard Business School, and a bachelor's and master's degree in public administration from Erasmus University in the Netherlands.

He was elected three weeks after the sudden resignation of Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu after only eight months in power, which automatically triggered the resignation of the government. Munteanu gave no clear reason for his departure, only saying that he could no longer fulfill his mandate in accordance with his principles and beliefs.

Sandu, who nominated Tofan as her candidate for prime minister, said at the time that Moldova must have a united, strong team in the government to fulfill its ambitions to become an EU member.

Moldova, a former Soviet republic until 1991 when it declared independence, has had a clear pro-Western stance in recent years, and has become a geopolitical battleground for Russia and the EU.

As part of the EU accession process, Moldova and Ukraine opened negotiations in June on a cluster of five chapters related to the values ​​and principles on which the EU is founded: the rule of law, respect for fundamental rights, and the functioning of democratic institutions.

Last week, both countries opened a second cluster: foreign affairs, security and defense policy, trade policy, development cooperation, and humanitarian aid.