Moldova’s Push to Join the European Union: An Overview
Moldova, one of Europe’s poorest countries, is caught in a difficult position between Ukraine and Russia, with the ongoing war threatening its security and stability. As a former Soviet republic, Moldova is leaning towards the European Union, but joining the alliance is fraught with challenges. Here is a summary of the key issues and factors affecting Moldova’s push for EU membership.
Political Significance of Mimi Castle Meeting
On June 1, 2023, the Mimi Castle winery hosted a political meeting between European leaders focused on Europe’s security and stability. President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, called for more Western aid in the fight against Russia. Moldova, with its western-leaning government, is accusing Russia of trying to block its accession to the European Union.
Moldova’s Goal to Join EU by 2030
Moldova’s President, Maia Sandu, has expressed her desire to join the European Union by 2030, stating that her country does not want to be blackmailed by the Kremlin and be on the edge of Europe. However, the country is divided on the issue of EU membership, with 48% in support of joining the EU and 34% in favor of maintaining relations with Russia.
Challenges for Moldova’s EU Membership
As Moldova seeks to join the EU, it faces several challenges that may delay or prevent its accession.
Resistance to Corruption Reform
Moldova has to fulfill specific conditions before it can start negotiations with EU countries to become part of the organization. The European Commission has identified nine reforms, with six focusing on anti-corruption efforts in the judicial sector. Corruption is widespread in Moldova, and some judges are resisting the reforms, leading to widespread resignations and paralyzing the Supreme Court.
Lack of Border Control
The breakaway region of Transnistria, which has been occupied by Russian troops since 1992, is one of the biggest challenges to Moldova’s EU membership. Since Transnistria is under Russian influence, the presence of Russian troops prevents Moldova from controlling its own borders, which is a prerequisite for EU membership.
Cost of Living Crisis
Moldova’s dependence on food and energy imports from Ukraine and Russia makes it vulnerable to disruptions caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine. The country’s inflation rate reached an all-time high of 34.6% in October 2022, sparking protests due to high energy prices and the inability to afford necessities.
Opportunities for EU Membership
Moldova’s challenges to joining the EU are significant, but there are also reasons to believe it could become a member.
Commitment from the EU Parliament
In April 2023, the European Parliament reaffirmed its commitment to Moldova’s EU membership. Moldova has also made efforts to move away from Russian influence by withdrawing from the Russian-led region Commonwealth of Independent States and importing natural gas from Romania.
Conclusion
Moldova’s push towards EU membership is complex and challenging, with issues of corruption, territorial control, and economic stability among others. Although the country faces significant challenges, there is room for Moldova to continue its path towards EU membership.
Expanding on the Importance of Moldova’s EU Membership
Moldova’s accession to the European Union is not only significant for the country but also for the region and the EU itself. Here are some insights on why Moldova’s EU membership matters.
Strategic Importance
Moldova’s joining the EU is important for its strategic location in Europe and its potential to be a bridge between the EU and the Eastern Partnership. As a small country with a population of only 3.4 million people, Moldova could be the EU’s gateway to Ukraine, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Additionally, Moldova’s accession to the EU could deter Russia’s aggressive actions towards the region and potentially stabilize the area.
Economic Benefits
Moldova’s EU membership could provide significant benefits to its economy, such as increased investments, access to markets, and financial aid. Moldova’s dependence on energy and food imports from Russia and Ukraine makes it vulnerable to political and economic instability, while joining the EU would diversify its markets and sources of income. The EU could assist Moldova in modernizing its industry, improving infrastructure, and raising standards of living.
Strengthening EU’s Eastern Partnership
Moldova’s accession could also strengthen the EU’s Eastern Partnership and encourage other countries in the region to pursue EU membership. The Eastern Partnership initiative aims to enhance the EU’s relationships with six post-Soviet countries, including Moldova, Ukraine, and Georgia. By bringing Moldova into the EU, the EU could demonstrate its commitment to the region and potentially accelerate the Eastern Partnership’s progress.
In conclusion, Moldova’s EU membership could have significant political, economic, and strategic implications for the region and the EU. While the challenges are significant, Moldova’s efforts to move closer to the EU could prove beneficial in the long run.
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Moldova, one of Europe poorest countriesIt stretches across Ukraine to the east and European Union countries to the west, putting it in a difficult position arguably vulnerable position in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.
But Moldova, a former Soviet republic, is increasingly signaling that it is joining the Union European Union.
Mimi Castle, a winery southeast of the Moldovan capital Chisinau, was the site of a June 1, 2023 political meeting European leaders focused on security and stability in Europe. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged more Western aid in the fight against Russia, was among the leaders present.
Moldova’s western-leaning government accuses Russia of trying to block its accession to the European Union. But a senior EU leader recently said the organization would welcome Moldova “Open Arms and Open Hearts”.
“Moldova doesn’t want to be blackmailed from the Kremlin,” Moldovan President Maia Sandu said during a pro-European political rally in Chisinau on May 22.
“We no longer want to be on the edge of Europe,” continued Sandu, who said her goal is for Moldova to join the EU by 2030.
However, a major complicating factor for Moldova is that an eastern part of its territory, Transnistria, was occupied by Russian troops since 1992.
As a Eastern Europe researcher, I think it is important to understand why Moldova might find it difficult to break away from Russia’s sphere of influence.
The population of Moldova is divided
Moldova applied for EU membership for the first time – a process that takes nine years on average – in March 2022, shortly after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
But the country’s population is around 3.4 million people According to the Moldovan opinion research institute Magenta Consulting, there is disagreement about this step.
Approximately 48% of the population said in March 2023 that Moldova should join the European Union 34% commented their support for maintaining relations with Russia.
Despite the divided mood among citizens, Moldova is already moving away from Russia. In May 2022, the government announced its desire to withdraw from the Russian-led region Commonwealth of Independent Statesa regional political and economic group formed after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
However, Russia continues to exercise political influence in Moldova.
A pro-Russian politician, for example won an election for governor in Gagauzia, an autonomous region in southern Moldova, in May 2022.
Sandu has also accused Russia of trying to do so Overthrow Moldova’s government and replacing it with a puppet regime chosen by the Kremlin.
Resistance to corruption reform
There are various conditions that countries must meet before officially starting negotiations with EU countries to become part of the organization.
The European Commission has decided on nine reforms wants Moldova to make it – Six of these focus on fighting corruption in the judicial sector. Corruption is widespread in Moldova.
The Moldovan government is now undertaking one comprehensive reform of his justice system before officially entering Negotiations on EU accession until the end of 2023.
However some Moldovan judges are resisting efforts to introduce anti-corruption changes, which would include a pre-screening system for potential judges. As a result, there were widespread resignations of judgeswhich paralyzed the Supreme Court due to too few members in office.
Lack of border control
Another complicating factor in Moldova’s application for EU membership is Transnistriaa pro-Russian breakaway region that broke away from Moldova after the fall of the Soviet Union with the help of the Russian army.
The Transnistrian government has actual independencebut other countries and the United Nations simply recognize it as part of Moldova.
The people living in Transnistria mostly speak Russian and the government is run by them pro-Russian separatists.
Russia also supplies Transnistria free natural gas and has thus supported older people in the region pension money.
The presence of Russian troops in Transnistria prevents Moldova from fully controlling its own borders. when activated, combat-ready Russian troops in Transnistria could quickly destabilize the region.
A prerequisite for EU membership is border and territorial control. Without that, Moldova cannot join the EU.
Cost of Living Crisis
Moldova’s heavy dependence on food and energy imports from Ukraine and Russia made it vulnerable to conflict-related disruptions in food and energy supplies from Ukraine and Russia due to the war in Ukraine.
Moldova’s inflation rate reached an all-time high 34.6% in October 2022. Since then, the country’s inflation rate has moderated, but still is 18%. The high cost of living has sparked protests in recent months. People were concerned about energy prices, but also about ways to do it afford other necessities like milk.
Another problem for Moldova is unstable energy sources.
Ukraine cut its electricity exports to Moldova after Russian missile strikes targeted the country’s energy infrastructure in 2022. And Russia Cut down on daily gas it gave Moldova back by half in October 2022 what to power outages and worried about the country running out of money electricity in winter.
To escape Moscow’s influence, Moldova began importing natural gas mainly from other international sources from Rumaniain December 2022.
The influx of Ukrainian refugees to Moldova has resulted in additional financial costs. Over 800,000 Ukrainian refugees crossed the country’s eastern border – and 100,000 Ukrainians now live in Moldova.
Although the challenges Moldova faces are significant, there is also reason to believe that it could join the EU. In April 2023 the Parliament of the European Union will meet reaffirmed its commitment to Moldova’s EU membership. But some of Moldova’s problems, such as a lack of full territorial control and entrenched corruption, are unlikely to go away anytime soon.
Tatsiana Kulakevich is Associate Professor of Teaching at the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies and Associate Professor at the Department of Russian, European and Eurasian Studies at the University of South Florida
https://fortune.com/2023/06/02/moldova-eu-membership-russia-long-shadow/
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