CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — Moldova’s Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu announced Friday that he’s stepping down, in a surprise move that automatically triggers the government’s resignation.Munteanu did not give a clear reason for his departure, which comes less than a year after he was sworn in to lead the European Union candidate country’s pro-Western government following a tense election widely viewed as a choice between East and West.“Today I end my term as prime minister,” Munteanu wrote in a statement posted on social media. “The moment I understand that I can no longer exercise my mandate in accordance with my principles and beliefs, I choose to walk away.”He added: “I accepted the proposal to be prime minister with a lot of responsibility and strong conviction that I can contribute to changing things for the better.”When a prime minister announces their resignation in Moldova, it takes effect immediately, but the government continues in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is formed.
In a press statement following his resignation, Moldovan President Maia Sandu thanked Munteanu for his leadership through a “complex period” for Moldova, but said she expected “more involvement in complicated decisions, more openness to listening to people.”
