Moldova Cabinet Collapses After Losing Confidence Vote

(Bloomberg) -- Moldova’s government collapsed on Tuesday after losing a no-confidence vote in parliament, once again throwing Europe’s poorest country into turmoil.

Prime Minister Maia Sandu’s administration, which sought closer ties with the European Union and won financial aid from the International Monetary Fund, has three days to submit its resignation to pro-Russian President Igor Dodon. Dodon’s Socialist Party initiated the no-confidence motion over Sandu’s attempts to fast-track judiciary legislation. That’s despite that same party joining forces with her earlier this year to topple the previous government.

Moldova, a former Soviet republic, has frequently been roiled by political instability and corruption scandals. A 1 billion-euro ($1.1 billion) bank fraud from 2014 remains unsolved.

“The judicial reform is a stepping stone for our government because we want a real judiciary and those who stole the billion to end up in prison,” Sandu said before the vote. “You want to get rid of us now that we brought money into the country and opened the doors of EU capitals.”

The nation of 3.5 million is still smarting from a political clash between Sandu’s government and the former ruling party, backed by Moldova’s richest man, Vladimir Plahotniuc, who fled abroad fearing prosecution. Last year, Moldova ranked 117 of 180 nations in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.

To contact the reporter on this story: Andra Timu in Bucharest at atimu@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Andrea Dudik at adudik@bloomberg.net, Michael Winfrey

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