Several opposition parties in Moldova have refused to take part in consultations opened by President Maia Sandu to choose a new prime minister.
The move has deepened a political crisis set off by the resignation of Alexandru Munteanu on July 3.
The Socialist Party (PSRM) of former president Igor Dodon and the National Alternative Movement (MAN) both said they would not attend. Each has demanded that parliament be dissolved and early elections called.
Dodon said he saw no reason for such talks. He argued that Moldovans wanted an election to tackle poverty, corruption and inflation.
Ion Ceban, the mayor of Chișinău and leader of MAN, also withdrew his party from the process. He said the leader of the party that wins an election should take the post, and urged his members not to attend.
Sandu said the refusal was the parties’ constitutional right and that she would discuss the way forward with those who did take part.
Under Moldovan law, the president must propose a candidate to parliament after consulting the various parliamentary factions. Though she may set aside their views, all parties have to be included in the procedure.
Early elections are only possible if parliament fails to approve a new government after two attempts within 45 days.
The governing Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) of Igor Grosu holds 55 of the 101 seats in parliament, a majority that allows it to appoint a prime minister without opposition support. PAS won a renewed mandate at a parliamentary election in September 2025, defeating a pro-Russian bloc.
The Socialists have 17 seats and Ceban’s Alternativa bloc eight, leaving the opposition short of the numbers needed to block a nomination.
Munteanu resigned after eight months in office, saying he could no longer carry out his mandate in line with his “principles and convictions”. His departure automatically triggered the resignation of the whole government.
His exit followed a corruption scandal at MoldATSA, the State-owned company that manages the country’s airspace, which centred on inflated salaries.
Munteanu’s government had pledged to advance Moldova’s bid to join the European Union by the end of the decade. Sandu has said the country’s accession path would not change.
