Moldova appoints pro-EU Munteanu as prime minister

Moldova's parliament picked a new prime minister on Friday to lead the small nation's efforts to join the European Union and break free of Russia's political orbit.



The appointment of Alexandru Munteanu, a 61-year-old economist, follows a parliamentary election in September in which President Maia Sandu's ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) resoundingly defeated a Russia-leaning rival and won a fresh mandate to pursue Moldova's EU drive.



"We have a unique opportunity to become the government that will bring Moldova into the European Union," Munteanu said ahead of the parliamentary vote, in which he won the backing of 55 of 101 lawmakers.



Munteanu's government will need to weather significant economic headwinds and stubbornly high inflation, largely a result of Russia's 2022 invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.