Moldova’s European minute and the question of statehood

For a minute in mid-June 2026, Moldova’s European way appeared unusually straightforward. At the Second EU-Moldova Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg on June 15th, the European Union opened the first and most crucial of six negotiating clusters with Moldova and its neighbour Ukraine: the “fundamentals” cluster, covering essential areas specified as the regulation of law, democratic institutions and anti-corruption. After almost 2 years of paralysis due to Hungary’s veto on Ukraine, the process yet began to move. With Brussels consistently praising Moldova’s improvement efforts, describing it as 1 of enlargement’s strongest performers, Chișinău’s stated goal of concluding negotiations by 2028 and joining the EU by 2030 no longer seemed entirely unrealistic. Judging by the accession timetable alone, Moldova entered the second half of 2026 in its strongest position since independence.

Governance test

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