A key minister in Moldova, Andrei Spinu, resigned on Monday following prolonged public criticism. Spinu, who headed pro-European President Maia Sandu’s re-election campaign and led over a year of talks with Russia’s Gazprom on gas supplies, stepped down as the Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development.
He also resigned as deputy head of Sandu’s Party of Action and Solidarity ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections, which could weaken the president’s ability to secure full support from the assembly for her EU membership campaign.
Sandu was re-elected for a second term last week with a smaller majority than anticipated. A referendum she championed on EU membership passed with a slim majority last month.
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In a Facebook post, Spinu expressed hope that his resignation “will allow for a return to a public discussion on Moldova and not on individual personalities as our country’s enemies would like.” He added, “I have been attacked almost daily without anyone offering evidence. I continued to carry out my duties in our country’s interests. I am now certain more than ever that Moldova is on the right path.”
Spinu led negotiations in 2019 and 2020 with Gazprom to secure Russian gas for Moldova, one of Europe’s poorest countries, located between Ukraine and Romania. Critics of Spinu accused him of securing deals that lacked transparency, which they claimed led to Moldova paying Europe’s highest gas prices. Moldova has since switched to European gas suppliers.
He also faced criticism for what opponents called excessively expensive road construction projects.
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Political analyst Vitalii Andrievschii suggested that Spinu was leaving the government before being forced out. “His action shows there are big problems in the high echelons of government,” Andrievschii told according to a Reuters report. “It is not normal for such a person to leave the ruling party seven months before decisive elections. It would seem that the PAS has no new ideas and the idea of EU integration is no longer so attractive for people.”
Prime Minister Dorin Recean announced last week that a government reshuffle would take place in the coming days.
Sandu, who receives backing and financial support from the EU, strongly condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and views Moscow — along with endemic corruption — as Moldova’s primary challenges. The opposition, led by the pro-Russian Socialist Party, advocates for a foreign policy that strikes a balance between Russia and the West.
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