Moldova's new Prime Minister Pavel Filip called for calm from protesters demanding his resignation and said he will not step down but will fight to restore public confidence.
"The political class now has its last chance to restore Moldovans' and our international partners' trust," Filip told reporters in Bucharest on January 26.
On a visit to neighboring Romania, Filip said the elite was responsible for a political crisis that has spurred mass protests in recent weeks.
Some 40,000 people took to the streets last weekend to demand early elections just days after a new government was sworn in -- the third such administration to take office within a year.
Filip said he had no intention of resigning, telling the BBC that Moldova desperately needs stable government to avoid a "deep economic and social crisis."
He added that action would be taken against protesters who "cross a red line and become violent."
Moldova has been mired in crisis since April when the exposure of a $1-billion corruption scandal triggered huge protests and the arrest of former premier Vlad Filat.
The country is torn between those who want it to join neighboring Romania in the European Union and those who want closer relations with Soviet-era ally Moscow.
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
U.S., Canadian Warplanes Intercept Russian, Chinese Military Aircraft Near Alaska
2Crowdsourcing Russia's Future: Poll Of Experts Considers What Comes After Putin
3Russia Attacks Ukrainian Danube Port For Second Day As NATO Scrambles Warplanes Over Romania
4Turkey Detains Russian Man Suspected Of Car Bombing In Moscow
5Ukrainian Forces Fight Intense Battles In Donetsk Region, Zelenskiy Says
6Live Briefing: Russia Invades Ukraine
7Pentagon Finds Another $2 Billion Of Accounting Errors For Ukraine Aid
8'Don't Even Whisper In Your Language': Russian Course For Central Asians Lays Down Strict Rules
9Under Relentless Russian Attacks, Ukrainian Power Plant Workers Race To Get The Lights Back On
10Bulgarian President Admits Blocking Pro-Western Envoy To Kyiv
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
