The president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, presented businessman Vasile Tofan this Saturday as a candidate for prime minister, with the central objective of resuming and channeling the accession negotiations to the European Union, officially initiated on June 15, and closing the country's latest political crisis, originated this time by a nepotism scheme in the public air navigation company MoldATSA.
During the nomination ceremony held this morning in Chisinau, the capital, Sandu herself stressed that the future Executive led by Tofan must "guarantee the culmination of all the necessary processes to achieve the European integration of the country in the coming years".
Furthermore, the head of state has entrusted Tofan with implementing Brussels' recommendations to advance accession, including strengthening state institutions "and society as a whole" and "revitalizing the economy to raise citizens' living standards and develop the country".
Tofan, 44, is a senior partner and member of the Investment Committee of Horizon Capital, one of the main investment funds in Central and Eastern Europe, and takes over from the ephemeral acting prime minister and until now Minister of Economy, Eugene Osmocescu.
Osmocescu barely remained at the head of the Government for three days as a substitute for the resigned Alexandru Munteanu, who submitted his resignation alleging incompatibility with his "principles and beliefs" after the MoldATSA scandal, in which President Sandu's relatives were implicated and which led to the fall of the pro-European executive.
The President of Parliament, Igor Grosu, has remarked that Tofan's candidacy comes at the proposal of Munteanu's party, Action and Solidarity (PAS), winner of the elections held in September last year, something he considered a key element to strengthen the nominee's position for the parliamentary vote.
The prime ministerial aspirant has admitted the general climate of "disappointment" in the country after "difficult weeks" and has promised to do everything possible to regain citizen confidence, according to statements made at a press conference alongside Sandu and Grosu, reported by the state agency Moldpres.
From now on, Tofan has 15 days to form his cabinet, draw up an initial government program, and submit both to a vote of confidence in Parliament.