Moldova’s PAS seeks economic PM to utilise €1.9 billion EU Growth Plan
Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu has stated that the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) sought a candidate with an economic background for the premiership, citing the need to efficiently use the EU's €1.9 billion Economic Growth Plan.
The funds were provided to the Republic of Moldova by the European Union.
Speaking on Moldova 1, Mr Grosu said: "We set out to slightly shift the focus, to intensify our efforts on economic growth, attracting investments, and everything related to citizen welfare. We need to use [the EU funds] very judiciously, quickly, with the right expertise."
"It is not enough to have money or resources; it is equally important to have the capacity to leverage these resources," he mentioned on the evening of October 22, hours after being re-elected Speaker with the votes of 55 MPs.
Mr Grosu specified that the Economic Growth Plan will allow 25,000 businesses to benefit from European funding.
The Speaker emphasised that the authorities' commitment for the coming years involves continuing infrastructure investments, including for the construction of the Chișinău ring road, the Bălți and Cahul regional hospitals, bridges over the Prut River, and electricity interconnections including Suceava-Bălți and Gutinaș-Strășeni.
He added: "I liked Mr. Munteanu's approach (Alexandru Munteanu, PAS's candidate for prime minister – Ed.), beyond his practical experience as an investor – experience not from abroad, but locally, having operated in the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, and our region. We need to attract serious investors, whether we are talking about agriculture, IT, infrastructure, or energy."
Mr Grosu announced on October 14 that Alexandru Munteanu – an economist, university professor, and businessman with a career of over 25 years in international investments – would be proposed by PAS for the position.
The Presidency announced on October 22 that President Maia Sandu was initiating consultations regarding the designation of the candidate for the position of prime minister, which would take place over two days, October 23 and 24.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
