- On 3 March, a working visit of the president of the European Council to Chisinau was held, during which he met with the most crucial decision-makers of the Republic of Moldova.
- The visit took place on the 3rd anniversary of the state applying for membership of the structures of the European Union.
- The gathering announced the EU's transfer of funds to make infrastructure and increase its defence capacity.
On 3 March, the president of the European Council Antonio Costa came to Chisinau for a working visit. During his stay in the capital of Moldova, he met with the most crucial officials of the country: the head of the state of Maia Sandu, Prime Minister Dorin Recean and talker of Parliament Igor Grosu. The visit aimed at commemorating the 3rd anniversary of the request for accession by the Republic of Moldova, as well as a summary of its actions to date in the context of EU integration.
During the meeting, president Maia Sandu expressed appreciation for the continued support provided by the European Union in the integration process and for the individual commitment of the president of the European Council to support Moldova. The president besides stressed the importance of the Growth Plan for Moldova, under which the country is expected to receive around EUR 1.9 billion in the next 3 years to modernise infrastructure and improve the surviving conditions of citizens [1]. Antonio Costa, in turn, praised the actions of the Republic of Moldova in the context of its way towards accession to the European Union, and announced that any of the funds from the Growth Plan for Moldova (around EUR 300 million) were to be transferred to it as early as April this year [2]. During the meeting, the president of the European Council besides announced the European Union's transfer of EUR 60 million to the Republic to strengthen its defence capacity and to "ensure peace" [3].
In addition, both officials discussed Moldova's efforts to join the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), to abolish roaming tariffs and to extend the access of Moldovan producers to the European Union marketplace [4].
Moldova's efforts towards a United Europe
The Republic of Moldova applied for membership in the structures of the United Europe on 3 March 2022, which was due, among others, to fear of the threat from the Russian Federation, which on 24 February 2022 launched an armed invasion of Ukraine. In June 2022, the European Council granted Moldova EU candidate status, while in June 2024 the country began accession negotiations with the organisation's associate States. In addition, a referendum was held in October 2024 to add a provision to the Moldovan constitution on the cessation of European integration as 1 of the essential objectives of the Republic of Moldova.
At the same time, the European Union, together with the Moldovan authorities, has taken a number of initiatives to make the country independent of the Russian Federation, together with the crossing of milestones on the way to membership of the structures of the United Europe. Since March 2022 Moldova has reduced its dependence on Russian gas by synchronizing its energy network with the European Entso-E system. In 2023, the EU partner mission to Moldova was launched, with the aim of supporting the country in the fight against hybrid threats from Russia. In addition, between 2021 and 24 the European Union donated EUR 137 million to the Republic of Moldova for the modernisation of the Moldovan armed forces and strengthening their interior safety [5].
Conclusions:
The visit of the president of the European Council to Chisinau and its gathering with the most crucial representatives of the Moldovan authorities is simply a clear signal of support for the European aspirations of the Republic of Moldova and of the EU itself. The gathering was mainly symbolic in view of Moldova's 3rd anniversary of its application for membership of the organisation, but besides stressed the importance of the country's efforts to join the EU.
The aid packages announced by Antonio Costa during the press conference for the country, in turn, show a strong commitment by the European Union to adapt the Republic of Moldova to its membership in the structures of the organisation. In addition, the United Europe is taking crucial steps to support the state in the process of independency from the Russian Federation, which is equivalent to reducing its influence in the region. In particular, the funds received from the EU by Moldova are crucial in this respect, which are utilized to make the country's defence capacity. The advanced commitment of the European Union to support the improvement of the defence sector and the value of its financial support makes Moldova the second largest beneficiary of EU military aid after Ukraine.
On the another hand, for Chisinau itself, interior safety issues became highly crucial after the Russian Federation's armed aggression against Ukraine in February 2022, after which, in the face of an increase in the threat and activity of Russia in the area of hostile hybrid activities in the state, the Moldovan authorities decided to increase their financial expenditure on the military sector. According to a fresh defence strategy announced in 2024, Moldova is expected to start spending 1% of GDP on defence by 2030.
2030 is an crucial caesium for the presently ruling Republic of Moldova, as it is this year that the Moldovan authorities intend to complete respective crucial projects, specified as full accession to the European Union, and reintegrate their territory by regaining control of the separatist Transnistria. However, it is not certain whether the dynamic pace at which the Moldovan integration process has been going so far will be maintained in subsequent years. Parliamentary elections are to be held in Moldova in September, the result of which is not foregone. The current power of PAS is frequently criticized by the opposition and the citizens of the country, among others, due to the process of independency of the Moldovan energy sector from Russia, which is linked to rising energy prices [6]. In addition, in a referendum held on 20 October 2024 on the entry of Moldova's accession to the EU as an nonsubjective for the fundamental law, around 49% of the voters opposed this provision. The result of the upcoming elections may importantly translate into an inclusive process, as in the event of a change of power, the country may cease to exercise specified a strong political will in the context of its accession to the European Union.
