| Governor ofGagauzia | |
|---|---|
| Gagauz:Gagauz Yeri başkanı Romanian:Guvernator al UTA Găgăuzia | |
 | |
since 5 August 2025 | |
| General Department of Affairs of the Governor (Bashkan) | |
| Style | His Excellency |
| Type | Head of Government |
| Member of | Cabinet of Moldova Executive Committee of Gagauzia |
| Residence | Comrat |
| Appointer | Universal suffrage election (as governor) President of Moldova (as member of cabinet)[1] |
| Term length | Four years, renewable once (consecutively) |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of Moldova Law on Special Legal Status of Gagauzia |
| Inaugural holder | Gheorghe Tabunșcic |
| Formation | 14 January 1995 |
| Website | gagauzia.md |
Thegovernor of Gagauzia (Gagauz:Başkan,pronounced[ˈbaʃkan]) is the highest political position inGagauzia, an autonomous territorial unit of theRepublic of Moldova. They chair theExecutive Committee of Gagauzia and are anex-officio member of theCabinet of Moldova.
The position is created by the 14th article of the law on the legal status ofGagauzia No. 344-XIII (December 23, 1994), which entered into force on 14 January 1995. All state authorities in Gagauzia are subordinate to the governor. The governor is elected by universal, equal, direct, secret and free suffrage on an alternative basis for a term of 4 years. One and the same person can be a governor for no more than two consecutive terms. They must be a citizen of Moldova over 35 years old and know theGagauz language. The governor can issue decisions and decrees valid throughout the territory of Gagauzia. The governor can also sign or veto laws, appoint the members of the cabinet, and grant pardons when allowed to do so by thePeople's Assembly.
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Office term | Political party | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gheorghe Tabunșcic (born 1939) | 19 June 1995 | 24 September 1999 | Party of Communists | Massive economic recession during tenure | |
| 2 | .jpg) | Dumitru Croitor (born 1959) | 24 September 1999 | 21 June 2002 | Independent | Forced to resign under pressure from the PCRM due to abuses of power |
| – | Valeriu Ianioglo (born 1957) Acting | 21 June 2002 | 10 July 2002 | Independent | Appointed interim governor by Croitor, rejected by thePeople's Assembly of Gagauzia | |
| – | Ivan Kristioglo (born 1952) Acting | 10 July 2002 | 29 July 2002 | Independent | Appointed interim governor by the People's Assembly, tenure struck down by theSupreme Court of Justice of Moldova | |
| – | Gheorghe Mollo (born 1939) Acting | 29 July 2002 | 9 November 2002 | Independent | Sought the expansion of theRomanian language in Gagauzia | |
| 3 | Gheorghe Tabunșcic (born 1939) | 9 November 2002 | 29 December 2006 | Party of Communists | Sought to rewrite the constitution of Moldova to create a federalized state. Lost his re-election bid. | |
| 4 | .jpg) | Mihail Formuzal (born 1959) | 29 December 2006 | 15 April 2015 | Party of Regions | Russophile, declared that Gagauzia has a right to self determination in the event of theunification of Moldova and Romania. |
| 5 | .jpg) | Irina Vlah (born 1974) | 15 April 2015 | 19 July 2023 | Party of Socialists | Russophile, first female governor, granted a seat on theSupreme Security Council. |
| 6 | .jpg) | Evghenia Guțul (born 1986) | 19 July 2023 | 5 August 2025 | Victory (political bloc) | Russophile, elected as a member of theȘor Party until the party's outlawing, took office as an Independent. Arrested while trying to flee the country due to corruption charges brought against her. |
| – | Ilia Uzun (born 1968) Acting | 5 August 2025 | Incumbent | Party of Socialists | Appointed interim governor by the People's Assembly. | |
 Moldavian Democratic Republic |
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 Moldova |
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