_shutterstock_dan_morar__xlarge.jpg "Movement on Moldova?")
Maia Sandu (c) Shutterstock Dan Morar
Movement on Moldova?
With Moldova steadily advancing towards EU membership, Brussels is finding itself under increasing pressure to turn enlargement from promise into reality.
On Tuesday (17 March), Brussels gave Moldova and Ukraine the go ahead to get started on the technical work for all of the so-called ‘negotiating clusters’ that need to be completed before either country can join the bloc.
Technical talks thriving
This technical phase, or “front loading” in Brussels parlance, should enable both countries to implement the necessary reforms and make progress, ready for the swift conclusion of accession negotiations when the political situation allows. It has also provided a way of bypassing the Hungarian veto, albeit a temporary one.
Despite this sense of progress, formal negotiations remain stalled – primarily due to the interconnected nature of Moldova’s and Ukraine’s accession process, and Hungary’s objection to Ukraine’s EU accession.
Marilena Rouna, Cyprus’s deputy minister for European affairs, whose country currently holds the Council presidency, emphasised the importance of these technical advances. She was speaking at a joint EU-Moldova press conference on Tuesday that followed an informal ministerial meeting.
Marilena Rouna, Cypriot Deputy Minister for European Affairs (in English):
“Front loading is not merely a technical exercise. It is a political commitment that is translated into action. It means accelerating the essential reforms that bring Moldova closer to the European Union, reforms that strengthen Moldova's democratic institutions, that modernise your economy and align policies with the EU ‘acquis’.”
European Commissioner for enlargement Marta Kos encouraged Chișinău to keep up the good work.
Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement (in English) 1:
“Member states have outlined key reform objectives for Moldova to help ensure progress in these critical areas of alignment with the EU. Moldova now has all it needs to advance EU accession reforms. It is a real chance to pick up speed on reforms that people can feel in their daily lives. Moldova should also keep pushing on the basics. Fair courts, less corruption and strong, accountable public institutions. Without this, nothing else matters.”
While continuing to emphasise that any enlargement must be merit-based, Kos also acknowledged that the EU was aware of the limitations of the current enlargement methodology – and looking into this.
Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement (in English) 2:
“I'm very happy that the discussion with member states on the revival or modernisation of the methodology has started and we will see in which direction this will go. We should have a methodology which will be suitable for the present times and geopolitical challenges […].Member states agree that it cannot be the status quo.”
Maia Sandu, in conversation with Kuku Raadio
Just a few days earlier, our Estonian colleagues at Kuku Raadio asked President Sandu if, in her view, Moldova’s EU accession process was being hindered more by internal or external factors. Her answer? “Definitely external”. She is clearly frustrated that they have been blocked from formally opening negotiations on the first clusters despite a consensus among EU member states that the country is ready.
She does acknowledge, though, that there are internal challenges too – the biggest of which relate to reforming the justice system and doubling down on anti-corruption efforts. Efforts that have been her raison d’être for the past 14 years, ever since she was first appointed Moldova’s minister of education.
But after her pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity held on to its majority in the country’s parliamentary elections in September, she feels confident of their prospects here.
Maia Sandu, President of Moldova (in English) 1:
“The fact that there is a majority in the parliament for the second term that is very committed, that is 100 per cent committed to reforming justice and to fighting corruption, this is really good news. But it takes time.”
But now, of course, the agenda is broader, she adds.
Maia Sandu, President of Moldova (in English) 2:
“Yes, we need to fix the issues with justice and anti-corruption. Because if you don't have the rule of law, then people will not believe in their state and they will not believe in this country. But in addition to that, the challenge now is to keep Moldova safe. And the only way to keep Moldova safe is to have it in the EU. And that's my ultimate objective.”
Moldova is required to meet specific economic criteria, including demonstrating sustained economic growth and stability, before it can join the EU. Sandu explains that the war in Ukraine has scuppered efforts here – a combination of high energy prices, a loss of their historical access to Ukrainian ports, and investor unease due to their proximity to the conflict.
This said, with its population of just three million, it would not be difficult for the EU to integrate Moldova economically. Indeed, many of its citizens already enjoy EU citizenship through Romania.
Yet Russia is having an even more direct impact on Moldova’s chances of EU accession through its heavy support for the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria. Since Transnistria is seen by the EU as a Moldovan territory under Russia military occupation, integrating Moldova into the bloc would effectively mean the presence of a Russian military base on European territory.
Maia Sandu, President of Moldova (in English) 3:
“We know why Russia has created this problem, because it wanted to control Moldova and to create impediments for Moldova to move on, including with EU integration, because Moldova could have become part of the EU a long time ago, together with Estonia and other countries. But because of this problem, Russia managed to control Moldova.”
There is a potential workaround, though.
Maia Sandu, President of Moldova (in English) 4:
“So, we are also considering a solution in two steps: the EU integration of the Right Bank of the Dniester, and then as a second step, the EU integration of [Transnistria]. Of course, we want to solve this reintegration first and then to have EU accession. But the biggest impediment to this is the withdrawal of the Russian army.”
Sandu is asked why it is so important that, despite all these stumbling blocks, real progress starts to be made in Moldova’s EU accession process. She directs her answer towards her Estonian listeners.
Maia Sandu, President of Moldova (in English) 5:
“Probably Estonia can understand us better than others. That in this new world, which is not really showing very positive signs, a small country really needs to be part of a family with which it shares the values of peace, of respecting borders, respecting sovereignty. It's about democracy, it's about human rights. We want to have the same chance you had.”
One – rather unexpected way - to go about this partial integration would be for the free part of the country, the territory of the Right Bank, to join neighbouring Romania. This would allow its citizens to quickly enjoy both EU and NATO memberships, as Romania is part of the alliance. This solution, which was floated by Sandu herself back in February, is not entirely far-fetched, notes our colleagues at Belgian media RTBF. In fact, the two countries have very close ties. Not only do they share the same language, but more than a quarter of Moldovans already hold Romanian passports, which allow them to travel freely and even vote in the European Union. The two countries also formed a single state, the Principality of Moldavia, for centuries.
So what does Sandu have to say about this option?
Maia Sandu, President of Moldova (in English) 5 B:
“There is an important number of people, around 40 per cent of people, who believe that the unification with Romania would be a solution to our security problems, to our survival as a democracy. But this is a democratic country, and such decisions can be taken only democratically. So as long as there is not a majority for this, this is a theoretical solution. But you don't know how people will behave if the security situation worsens.”
And there are benefits for the rest of Europe too.
Maia Sandu, President of Moldova (in English) 6:
“Moldova is part of the security solution in the region. Imagine if Russia had managed to gain control over the Moldovan parliament and government at the last elections in September 2025. Moldova has a 1200-km border with Ukraine. You can imagine how damaging this could have been, because Russia would have definitely used Moldova against Ukraine and this would have made the situation of the Ukrainians much more difficult.”
Panagiotis Ioakeimides, Professor Emeritus of European Politics at the National Kapodistrian University of Athens, agrees that Moldova’s integration into the EU would be of benefit to the whole region, as he tells SKAI radio.
Panagiotis Ioakeimides, Professor Emeritus of European Politics at the NKUA (in Greek) 1:
“I believe that the accession of Moldova – as well as Ukraine, since these two countries will most likely join the European Union together – is of great importance for the stability of the wider region, which is threatened by, among other things, Russian aggression.”
Meanwhile, as Sandu warns, the Moldovans’ enthusiasm for facing West not East must not be taken for granted.
Maia Sandu, President of Moldova (in English) 7:
“At the last elections, the main narrative of Russia has been that if you choose people who do not get along with the Kremlin, then what's happening today in Ukraine is going to happen tomorrow in Moldova. And Moldovans have shown courage knowing that the EU is supporting Moldova. But if in a couple of years, the Moldovans see that despite progress on EU integration – progress recognised by the EU institutions and by the EU member states – Moldova doesn't move towards EU integration, that's going to frighten some people [into thinking] that they are alone, that Moldova is alone, that it is not supported by the EU. And on the other hand, Russia's aggressive stance does not just disappear. So, it's going to be difficult in the next elections, in the presidential elections, in the parliamentary elections, to preserve the same resilience and the same level of courage by the Moldovans if they see that the EU is not delivering.”
And there are more risks for Europe should the process be further delayed, warns Professor Ioakeimides.
Panagiotis Ioakeimides, Professor Emeritus of European Politics at the NKUA (in Greek) 2:
“If accession is delayed, the main beneficiaries of this delay, apart from Russia, will be far-right political forces that seek to undermine the entire enlargement process.”
So, what timeline does Sandu have in mind?
Maia Sandu, President of Moldova (in English) 8:
“Well, our objective is to sign the treaty by 2028. And we have been working hard. We have been implementing tough reforms, and the EU has appreciated our progress, including in the previous evaluation report last fall. It's not easy, but for us, EU integration is a survival strategy. We can survive as a democracy only as part of the EU, given Russia's aggression in Ukraine and given Russia's hybrid war that Moldova has been experiencing, especially in the last few years.”
In addition to announcing the ‘technical opening’ of all of the negotiating clusters on Tuesday, the EU’s commissioner for enlargement Marta Kos announced that the Brussels executive would disburse 189 million euros to Moldova under the 'Facility for Reform and Growth', following the country's successful implementation of 24 of the 26 reforms set out in its reform plan.