Chisinau urges swift progress ahead of pivotal vote
Moldova has called on the European Union to officially launch membership negotiations before its parliamentary elections on 28 September, warning that delays could fuel anti-European disinformation during a critical political period.
Speaking on 3 July, Deputy Prime Minister Cristina Gherasimov said it was “crucial” for Chisinau to show tangible progress in the EU accession process before the election campaign gains full momentum. She highlighted the growing role of misinformation, much of it targeting the EU, and stressed that visible EU engagement would strengthen pro-European forces in Moldova.
“When Moldova fulfils its obligations, the EU should reciprocate,” Gherasimov told reporters. “That signal is essential.”
First EU-Moldova summit marks strategic milestone
The appeal came on the eve of the first-ever EU–Moldova summit, held on 4 July in Chisinau. The event underscores the strategic importance Brussels now attaches to Moldova — a country increasingly seen as vulnerable to external pressure, especially from Russia, and as a frontline state for European security.
However, the summit also exposed a growing dilemma for EU institutions: how to accelerate Moldova’s membership talks without sidelining Ukraine, which started its EU accession process in parallel with Chisinau in June 2024.
While Moldova has already completed the screening of four out of six negotiation clusters, Ukraine’s progress remains stalled, largely due to opposition from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Budapest has blocked the opening of the first negotiation cluster with Ukraine, despite continued backing for Kyiv from most EU capitals and the European Commission.
EU weighs twin-track integration
EU officials are now facing pressure to maintain a “twin-track” enlargement approach, advancing Ukraine and Moldova together. Diplomats in Brussels acknowledge the geopolitical stakes: both countries face acute security threats from Russia, share overlapping reform agendas, and act as key pillars in the EU’s Eastern Partnership strategy.
“Differentiating too sharply between Moldova and Ukraine at this stage could send the wrong message — both to Moscow and to citizens in the region,” one senior EU official told Reuters.
A coordinated enlargement process, say analysts, would reinforce regional stability, support democratic consolidation on the EU’s eastern flank, and reward reform efforts in both Kyiv and Chisinau. It would also help counteract Russian hybrid aggression and disinformation, particularly in the run-up to Moldova’s elections.
Strategic clarity and political will
Moldova’s push to move faster comes amid cautious optimism in Brussels that the remaining two screening clusters can be completed quickly. EU officials say that while Chisinau is further along technically, Kyiv has also made substantial reforms aligned with the Copenhagen and Maastricht criteria.
In this context, regional observers stress the importance of not allowing procedural technicalities — or political manoeuvring by individual member states — to undercut the EU’s credibility.
“The enlargement process is not only about bureaucracy — it’s also about strategic vision,” said one official familiar with the talks.
For Moldova and Ukraine alike, the message from Brussels in the coming weeks may prove decisive — not just for their EU aspirations, but for the political balance within their borders and across the region.
