Dorin Recean resigns as Prime Minister and Member of Parliament
Prime Minister Dorin Recean will not continue as the head of the next Cabinet of Ministers, despite the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) securing a parliamentary majority in the recent elections. This party previously helped him attain the position of Prime Minister. Additionally, Dorin Recean is resigning from his position as a deputy, which he won in the parliamentary elections held on September 28. This information was announced during a press conference on Monday, October 13, by Prime Minister Recean and Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu.
Igor Grosu stated that the Constitutional Court is to rule this week on the results of the parliamentary elections and validate the mandates of the elected deputies. Subsequently, the newly elected Parliament will be convened in its first session, by presidential decree, to elect the Parliament Speaker, the Standing Bureau and to initiate the process of forming the new Government.
Until a new cabinet of ministers is invested, the current Government led by Dorin Recean will provide the interim. The Parliament Speaker, Igor Grosu, announced that the party will submit its own candidate for the position of Prime Minister, also emphasizing the contribution of the current head of the Executive.
“The Action and Solidarity Party will come up with a candidate for the position of Prime Minister. With great emotion I want to mention that the PAS team has had a very good and efficient collaboration with the Prime Minister throughout this period”.
The Speaker recalled the crises of recent years, including the war in Ukraine, energy crises and hybrid attacks on democracy, noting that the Republic of Moldova “remained upright and free on its European path” thanks to the joint effort of the institutions and the Government.
"The PAS faction, the entire PAS team, the teams at the local level, at the central level, had the great pleasure of having a very good and efficient collaboration with the Prime Minister throughout this period. It was a very complicated period for us, for the entire country. We remember that we went through several challenges, in which a foreign state intervened in our democratic processes, alongside criminal groups supported by this foreign state. And this attack on democracy, we resisted. We resisted because the citizens of the Republic of Moldova want and have wanted, and continue to want to live in a democratic society, they love freedom and have not allowed anyone to intervene in our democratic processes. There were several very difficult winters, which we had to face, with a war on the border. At the same time, we had to organize the local elections, the presidential elections, the referendum, the parliamentary elections in an exemplary manner, to defend them and organize them as they should. At the same time, the institutions had to do their job, led by the government headed by Mr. Recean, to bring investments, identify resources to provide compensation, increase pensions, salaries, make investments and continue the process of integrating the Republic of Moldova into the European Union. Of course, this was achieved because we have extraordinary people, a very mobilized society, which mobilized exemplary in the country and we resisted”.
Igor Grosu thanked Dorin Recean for his work in the Government, “in challenging years”, but “who knew how to mobilize the government team and Moldova remained on the right path towards European integration”.
"This was also due to the Prime Minister, who knew how to mobilize all the institutions, to do his job, he knew how to mobilize the government team and Moldova remained straight, free on its path to European integration. Prime Minister, first of all, I personally and the entire PAS team, thank you for accepting the invitation to join your team on our path two and a half years ago. They were challenging years, but it was worth it. The experience was worth the effort. And, honestly, I would really like us to continue this together. The Action and Solidarity Party managed to obtain a pro-European parliamentary majority, thanks to the vote of our citizens. And our intention was to nominate, as a candidate, for the position of Prime Minister, Mr. Recean. However, the Prime Minister announced to us that his mandate ends here and I very much hope that, regardless of the circumstances, you will remain with us, because you have put a lot of soul, a lot of effort, for which we thank you", Igor Grosu pointed out, adding that "PAS will come up with a candidate for the position of prime minister".
Prime Minister Dorin Recean stated that, together with President Maia Sandu, the deputies and members of the Action and Solidarity Party, with whom he started essential projects for the country, but also together with the entire society, the Republic of Moldova has come considerably closer to the objective of joining the European Union, and "all of them, together, have done their duty".
"I thank PAS for the trust and for the mandate to lead the Government of the Republic of Moldova during this complicated period. I have worked with professional, dignified and courageous people in PAS. These people 10 years ago started a fight for democracy and real independence, a fight without which we would not be here today", said Dorin Recean.
The Prime Minister also added that PAS, together with Maia Sandu, assumed a challenging task 10 years ago and set out on a path whose finality no one knew, they only knew that they were fighting for justice. And even with many obstacles, some mistakes, dilemmas and immense challenges, PAS has maintained its commitment with dignity.
“Today we are talking about a Moldova that has gotten rid of the oligarchs, is cleaning up the justice system, strengthening its institutions, working to become an EU member state and implementing solutions to grow the economy. I also thank the state institutions for knowing and choosing to protect the national interest at key moments in the history of the Republic of Moldova. Even if many of your efforts have not been seen on television, the stage our country is at today is due to every civil servant, policeman, officer, prosecutor, judge, every state employee who chose to do their duty. You have demonstrated that we can build a strong, truly independent state”, declared Dorin Recean.
Dorin Recean said he was honored by the trust the Action and Solidarity Party had placed in him and by the party's intention to propose a new term as prime minister. However, he clarified that his decision was a personal one. He noted that he got involved two and a half years ago with a very clear mandate, that of ensuring security and constitutional order, emphasizing that he never intended to remain in politics.
"My mandate ends with the expiration of the current Government mandate. At the same time, our country is moving to another stage of development. During the mandate of the current Government, we managed to do together what was necessary for the Republic of Moldova to be among the powerful states of the world, and for this it is necessary that the next government mandate be, first of all, about economic growth and development. I will not continue to be in public and political life, I will resign as a deputy as soon as we vote for the new Government and after that I will go to continue my professional career that I left aside a few years ago. However, I will never hesitate to help the team. Igor, thank you very much for your trust", concluded Dorin Recean at the press conference on October 13.
In the end, Igor Grosu stated that it was difficult for them to accept and hear this decision, but he stressed that he respects it and is certain that, regardless of the position and place where Dorin Recean will find himself in the immediate future, he will remain with the team, the processes and the important things mentioned for the next executive and for the next four years.
"I know that a natural question that you are waiting for, that you will ask me, is about the name of the future candidate. It is a natural expectation. At the same time, please understand that I cannot do this now. One thing I can tell you is that the Action and Solidarity Party will go, at the appropriate time, to consultations with the President, where it will present the candidate for the new or future Prime Minister that we consider appropriate", said Igor Grosu.
President Maia Sandu thanked Prime Minister Dorin Recean for standing by the ruling party during all these "complicated years" for the Republic of Moldova.
"Prime Minister Dorin Recean was, at this stage of our country's development, the most suitable man to lead the Government and guide the state institutions so that we can go through multiple crises with dignity. Together with his team, he significantly contributed to strengthening the resilience of state institutions and protecting democracy, advancing the EU accession process, ensuring energy security and implementing several important development programs for the country. I trust that you will be there when the country needs you", the President wrote in a message on her Facebook page.
The government led by Dorin Recean was inaugurated on February 16, 2023, following the resignation of former Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița, who announced her withdrawal on February 10, 2023, due to challenges in implementing reforms within a complex geopolitical context.
Maia Sandu, the Head of State, appointed Dorin Recean—who was then serving as an advisor to the president on defense and national security, as well as the secretary of the Supreme Security Council—as the candidate for prime minister. The Recean cabinet secured 62 votes in Parliament, all from deputies of the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS). The government program focused on enhancing national security, reforming the justice system, promoting economic development, and advancing European integration.
Dorin Recean also served as Minister of Internal Affairs from 2012 to 2015.
