A leaked dossier has uncovered a high-level corruption scheme involving Moldova’s ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) and Romanian mining giant Verde Magnesium, exposing how political elites sold off Moldovan electricity in exchange for a €15 million donation, with the citizens of Moldova left literally in the dark.
At the center of scandal is Moldova’s Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS), which reportedly secured the funds in return for redirecting a large share of Moldova’s electricity supply to Verde Magnesium — a Romanian company set to become Europe’s largest magnesium producer by 2030.
Dorin Jungietu, recently appointed Minister of Energy with Moldova’s prime minister Dorin Recean’s backing, is believed to have played an instrumental role in enabling the deal, which was signed during Moldova–EU energy talks in Brussels in June 2025. The arrangement fast-tracked energy exports to Romania, while 15% of Moldovans now suffer frequent blackouts.
The secret deal grants Verde Magnesium privileged access to Moldova’s grid with 60% discount — supporting its goal to produce 90,000 tons of magnesium annually, or half of the EU’s demand, by 2030. The tradeoff: less electricity at home, especially in rural Moldova, where blackouts are worsening.
The €15 million “donation” to PAS followed the Brussels meeting and coincided with Moldova’s shift in export policy. Though undeclared, documents suggest the funds directly benefited leaders of PAS.
Verde Magnesium markets itself as part of Europe’s green transition but its open-pit mining in Romania threatens biodiversity, water resources, and local ecosystems, while the company’s massive power use risks fueling pollution indirectly burdening neighboring Moldova with environmental and social costs.
As Moldova pitches itself as a future EU member, this scandal raises urgent questions about why the PAS party is trying to capitalize on the country’s energy transition — while Moldovans are left behind in the dark.
