Moldova Seeks Emergency Powers Over Energy and Water as Dniester Levels Drop

Moldova's pro-European leadership said on Monday that it would ask parliament to declare a state of emergency covering energy and water supply, following dangerously low water levels on the Dniester River that the country shares with Ukraine.

Prime Minister Vasile Tofan, writing on social media after a meeting of the Security Council, said the government would submit the request to the chamber on Tuesday. The move is intended to give the administration the powers it needs to respond to mounting difficulties.

Tofan argued that granting the government a free hand was essential because Moldova obtains much of its gas, oil and electricity from beyond its borders. "We can't afford to wait for a crisis to start looking for solutions," he wrote, adding that the measure would give the government tools to act at the first sign of need and only where truly necessary. He said the government would be ready to supply the economy and citizens with water, electricity and heat, and to support vulnerable households.

President Maia Sandu, who has led a drive for Moldova to join the European Union by 2030, chaired the Security Council meeting and said its members had recommended introducing emergency regulations quickly. She noted that while the share of renewable energy sources has grown, the country still lacks the capacity to cover consumption during peak hours. "We need to be ready for any changes and provide solutions, no matter what is going on outside the country," she told a press conference.

The government has been monitoring low Dniester levels for months. Last month, a joint meeting of Moldovan and Ukrainian experts reduced flows through the Dniester hydropower station in southern Ukraine to allow irrigation of crops in Moldova. The situation was further complicated in March by a Russian attack on the hydropower plant, which triggered an oil spill and polluted water systems in Moldova.