Moldova's Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu said on Friday he was stepping down, in a surprise announcement that also triggers the resignation of the government.
Munteanu, who has served as prime minister of the European Union candidate nation since November 2025, gave no full explanation for his decision.
It comes amid an outcry in Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries, following recent media reports about overly high salaries at MoldATSA, the state agency on airspace security, and other state-owned companies.
"Today, my term as Prime Minister comes to an end," Munteanu said in a post on X/Twitter. "The moment I realized that I could no longer carry out my mandate in accordance with my principles and convictions, I chose to step down."
The move is a challenge for President Maia Sandu and her ruling pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), now in its second consecutive term.
"We are observing an acute governance crisis in Moldova," political analyst Vitaliy Andriyevskiy told Reuters.
Sandu told reporters that Munteanu would remain in his role until a new prime minister has been appointed, adding that she would hold consultations with parliamentary factions next week before nominating a candidate.
PAS holds a majority in Moldova's 101-seat parliament.
Moldova to continue seeking EU membership
Sandu thanked Munteanu and his cabinet for their service and for initiating "difficult but needed reforms."
"Moldova's path remains unchanged: reforms and EU accession," she said on X.
In her comments to reporters, Sandu said: "Speculation that he (Munteanu) wanted to tackle abuses but was prevented from doing so is false. He had complete freedom to run the government as he saw fit. He decided to step down of his own accord."
Munteanu, 62, was appointed following a parliamentary election in September 2025 in which PAS resoundingly defeated a Russia-leaning rival and won a fresh mandate to pursue Moldova's EU membership drive.
Before that, he worked outside Moldova for some 20 years including for the World Bank.
"I will continue to serve my country from whatever position I may hold," he said.
Moldova is nestled between Ukraine and EU member Romania. It has a Romanian-speaking majority and a large Russian-speaking minority, and political power has oscillated for decades between parties supporting closer ties with Europe and those seeking better relations with Moscow.