Claudiu Năsui
Năsui advocates for economic liberalization, reduced government intervention, and the reduction of bureaucracy. However, his nomination has raised the question: why did the government choose a politician from Romania to implement this policy, rather than a specialist from Moldova or the Moldovan diaspora?
A Commitment to the Free Market
Claudiu Năsui attributes his appointment to a clear liberal economic philosophy. His priorities include reducing bureaucracy, reforming state-owned enterprises, cutting budget expenditures, and removing barriers for small and medium-sized businesses.
Explaining his decision to head Moldova’s Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization, he stated that he shares Vasile Tofan’s vision for Moldova’s future:
“Moldova must become the most attractive country for entrepreneurs. He understands that the state does not solve economic problems—at best, it merely manages them, and more often than not, it exacerbates them when it intervenes in the economy. Wealth and prosperity must first be created before the state can redistribute them. And the conditions necessary for this are precisely the values of the free market, which have proven their effectiveness wherever they have been applied.”
Thus, Năsui outlines a model in which the state must, first and foremost, reduce the administrative burden on business, limit excessive interference in the economy, and create conditions for the development of the private sector.
Prime Minister Vasile Tofan effectively confirmed this approach, identifying Năsui’s main tasks as reducing bureaucracy, cutting government spending, and removing barriers to business:
“We need this kind of energy in the Ministry of Economy. Its priorities will be to reduce bureaucracy in the government apparatus, resolve the problems of state-owned companies, cut budget expenditures, and remove barriers that hinder the development of small and medium-sized enterprises.”
Năsui himself warns that economic reforms will not always be popular. According to him, the political system often pushes authorities toward short-term solutions that maintain popularity, even if they create problems for the budget and the economy in the long run.
More Trust in Neighbors?
The appointment has drawn criticism from the opposition. The main question concerns not so much Năsui’s professional qualifications as the very principle behind the formation of the government team: why was a politician from a neighboring country chosen for one of the key economic posts, when there are also specialists in Moldova and among the Moldovan diaspora with experience in the economy and international organizations?
The mayor of the capital, Ion Ceban, put the question bluntly: “It’s clear. According to PAS, there are no specialists in the country. And if there are, then only those with a yellow party membership card, relatives, and other ‘insiders.’”
Ion Kitzan, a member of parliament from the “Democrația Acasă” party, asked a similar question. He emphasized that he was not questioning Năsui’s professional qualifications, but was speaking specifically about the principle of forming the government team:
“Among the hundreds of thousands of Moldovans who have left the country, was there really not a single economist capable of heading the Ministry of Economy? Among Moldovans who have graduated from prestigious universities and work in banks, international companies, and European institutions, was there really not a single one? Among the professionals who stayed at home, was there really no one who deserved such trust? Then who were all those statements about the ‘return of the diaspora home’ meant for?”
Former Moldovan Prime Minister Ion Sturza acknowledges Claudiu Năsui’s intelligence, solid economic training, and consistency in his views. However, he believes that Năsui is better at diagnosing problems and criticizing the existing system than at implementing large-scale reforms in practice.
At the same time, Sturza also raises the question of the government’s trust in Moldovan experts. In his view, inviting a Romanian politician could indicate a lack of trust in experts from Moldova and the diaspora.
It is precisely here that the government’s personnel decision confronts a key political question: Is Năsui’s appointment primarily a choice in favor of a specific economic model, or does it indicate that the government does not see a suitable candidate among Moldovan experts?
The opposition also took particular note of the fact that Năsui obtained Moldovan citizenship immediately before his nomination for the ministerial post. Critics link these events in terms of timing and question the consistency of the personnel decision.
Năsui is an active Romanian politician
Before Năsui, representatives of the Romanian political and government spheres had already assumed high-level positions in Moldova.
Anca Dragu, a former Romanian finance minister, heads the National Bank of Moldova. Ramona-Victoria Strugaru, a former Romanian Member of the European Parliament, heads the National Institute of Justice.
Now, Claudiu Năsui, a current member of the Romanian Parliament representing the USR (“Union for the Salvation of Romania”) and a former Minister of Economy in the neighboring country, has been proposed for the government’s economic portfolio.
What makes the current situation unique is that Năsui is joining the Moldovan government not as an independent economist, but as a sitting Romanian politician. Therefore, his potential appointment can be viewed from several perspectives: as an attempt to bring into the government someone with experience in implementing economic reforms; as a continuation of the practice of recruiting specialists and politicians from Romania for leadership positions in Moldova; and as a political signal of further rapprochement between the two countries.
Thus, this personnel decision goes beyond a routine government reshuffle: it simultaneously concerns the economic model, personnel policy, and the nature of Moldova’s future rapprochement with Romania.
Cautious optimism—but without expectations of a “miracle”
“Is this the right profile?” asks Tudor Darie, a former advisor to the prime minister and a Moldovan entrepreneur based in Romania. He answers: “Under the current circumstances, I think so.”
“From what I know of him from his work in Romania, I expect him to promote deregulation—minimal regulations for small businesses, without preferential treatment for large corporations (which is a good sign)—and to emphasize SMEs as a source of economic growth. He will likely also put pressure on unprofitable state-owned companies, possibly even pushing for privatization. Since he’s not from Moldova, he doesn’t have any ‘cronies’ here. And that’s another point in his favor,” Darie believes.
At the same time, in his opinion, one shouldn’t expect quick miracles from the new minister. A single ministry cannot change the economy on its own, and there is a long road ahead between the desire to “deregulate,” the passage of laws by parliament, and their actual implementation.
“His boldness will clash with the system’s inertia. The team he assembles will also be of enormous importance. I remain cautiously optimistic. The direction seems right. But his work will have to be judged by the results,” Dariye emphasizes.
“A Clear Plus”
According to the leader of “Our Party,” Renato Usatyi, the only plus for the new Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization is that he won’t need an interpreter—unlike Stéphane Bride, who, as a French minister, headed this ministry until January 2016.
Renato Usatyi expressed skepticism about the future of the current government and predicted early parliamentary elections.
“I think that Mr. Tofan will eventually take some action, and by the New Year, this government will be the last one, and next year we’ll have early elections. I don’t think this team and these appointments will be successful,” concluded Renato Usatyi.
