Moldova’s parliament elects investor Vasile Tofan as PM

Moldova’s pro-Western parliament elected businessman and investor Vasile Tofan as prime minister on Tuesday, entrusting a political newcomer with advancing the former Soviet republic’s bid to join the European Union.

Tofan, 44, who is backed by President Maia Sandu and her Party of Action and Solidarity, was elected by 53 to 21, with 21 abstentions in Moldova’s 101-seat Parliament.

Addressing lawmakers just before the vote, Tofan said he understood his “responsibility to fight for the interests of all Moldovans,” and that he and the new government will act “with integrity and the will to push Moldova forward”.

A senior partner at the Ukraine-based investment firm Horizon Capital until recently, Tofan gained a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public administration from |Erasmus University, in the Netherlands.

Tofan said he did not intend to launch a political career with his role as prime minister.