The Filip Cabinet was the Cabinet of Moldova led by Pavel Filip from January 2016 to June 2019.
Overview
After the dismissal of previous cabinet, no consensus was reached by the three pro-European parliamentary parties - Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova (PLDM), Democratic Party of Moldova (PDM), and Liberal Party (PL). A new political crisis began. After on early 21 December 2015 Vlad Plahotniuc has announced his return in politics and in the Democratic Party, stating that he "will participate directly in the process of forming a new parliamentary majority [...] which also will succeed to gain all the needed votes for the election of the president in the next March" (2016), a few hours later, in the morning of 21 December 2015, a group of 14 communist MPs have announced that they were leaving the communist faction in parliament and will form a new parliamentary group - The Social Democratic Platform for Moldova (Platforma Social Democrată Pentru Moldova), and later PDM and the group of former communists MPs began discussions regarding the formation of a new parliamentary majority.
On 13 January 2016 the newly formed parliamentary majority nominated Vlad Plahotniuc for the function of Prime Minister of Moldova, however, the president of Moldova Nicolae Timofti has rejected the candidature with a rationale which says that "there are reasonable suspicions that Mr. Vladimir Plahotniuc does not meet the criteria of integrity necessary for his appointment as Prime Minister, considering also that by the Decision no. 5 of 15.02.2013 of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, published in the Official Gazette on 22.02.2013, Mr. Vladimir Plahotniuc expressed a vote of mistrust in his capacity as first deputy chairman of the Parliament, accusing him of involvement in illegal activities that are prejudicial to the image of the Parliament, and the Republic of Moldova”.
Later Nicolae Timofti designated Ion Păduraru for the function of Prime Minister, but after Păduraru gave up, the parliamentary majority has nominated Pavel Filip - former Minister of Informational Technologies and Communications. During the parliamentary meeting, a group of protesters gathered in front of the Parliament building that demanded the interruption of the vote. After the president appointed Filip as Prime Minister of Moldova and Filip Cabinet was inaugurated in night, a series of protests was resumed. The cabinet headed by Filip was voted by 57 of 101 MPs: all 20 Democratic Party MPs, 13 Liberal Party MPs, 14 former communist (PCRM) MPs, 8 PLDM MPs, and another 2 former PLDM MPs.
On 13 December 2016, PL chairman, Mihai Ghimpu, withdrew the political support to Anatol Șalaru (minister of defense). After the newly elected president Igor Dodon was sworn in, on 27 December he signed the decree on the dismissal of Șalaru from the position of Minister of Defense. Since then, deputy minister Gheorghe Galbura was acting minister of defense.
On 15 March 2017, the formally independent minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Eduard Grama (a close person to Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova) was retained in an alleged corruption case. Few days later, Grama resigns from the office, and on 20 March president Dodon formally signs his dismissal decree.
In late April 2017 the anti-corruption prosecutors and the CNA officers retained liberal minister of Transport and Roads Infrastructure Iurie Chirinciuc, suspecting him in corruption acts.
After on 25 May 2017 the liberal mayor of Chișinău Dorin Chirtoacă was retained by the anti-corruption prosecutors and National Anti-Corruption Center officers, on 26 May, PL chairman Mihai Ghimpu has announced that Liberal Party leaves the government coalition. Later, on 29 May, three liberal ministers: Deputy Prime Minister on Social Affairs - Gheorghe Brega, Ministry of Education - Corina Fusu, and Ministry of Environment - Valeriu Munteanu, and their liberal deputy ministers, have announced that they resign from their posts. Next day president Dodon signed the decrees for their dismissals, and one more decree for the liberal Minister of Transport and Roads Infrastructure of Moldova Iurie Chirinciuc, who at that moment was placed under home arrest.