Moldova PM-designate Tofan begins cabinet talks and EU reform push
Moldova’s Prime Minister-designate Vasile Tofan has launched consultations with key sector representatives, civil society groups, and parliamentary factions as he drafts his administration’s governing platform.
The candidate announced on Monday that he is meeting with outgoing cabinet members to define key priorities ahead of a parliamentary vote of confidence.
Consultations with outgoing cabinet
Tofan held discussions with Acting Prime Minister Eugeniu Osmochescu, alongside Acting Deputy Prime Ministers Cristina Gherasimov, Valeriu Chiveri, and Mihai Popșoi.
The meetings also included Acting Finance Minister Andrian Gavriliță and Acting Education Minister Dan Perciun.
Tofan emphasized that governance decisions must directly improve citizens' daily lives while removing operational bottlenecks and accelerating European Union integration benchmarks over the next 12 months.
Constitutional deadline and background
Nominated on Saturday, July 11, the 44-year-old Prime Minister-designate has 15 days to form a cabinet and present his policy program to Parliament.
Tofan is a prominent business figure and Senior Partner at Horizon Capital, a private equity firm managing over $1.8 billion (approx. €1.65 billion) in assets across Ukraine and Moldova.
He also serves on the boards of the American Chamber of Commerce in Moldova and the Startup Foundation.
Pro-growth agenda and structural reforms
Tofan envisions transforming Moldova into Europe's most entrepreneur-friendly nation by prioritizing institutional trust, social fairness, and market-driven reforms.
Key proposals include capping public sector salaries—including bonuses—at four to five times the national average wage, aiming for a leaner, better-paid bureaucracy. He also proposed statutory changes to prevent dismissed public officials from regaining posts through court rulings.
For state-owned enterprises, Tofan pledged mandatory annual audits by international firms and proposed listing a 25% stake on stock exchanges to improve accountability prior to privatization. He added that comprehensive tax reform remains necessary and can no longer be delayed.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
