Vice President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas: September elections are crucial for the future of the Republic of Moldova
Widespread public support for EU membership offers an optimistic outlook for the Republic of Moldova’s European path after the fall parliamentary elections, says European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas. In an exclusive interview with Radio Moldova, the top EU official stated that the September vote is decisive for the country’s future, and the choice of direction lies entirely with its citizens.
Of course, elections for the country, for the citizens, are important. Namely, the citizens are the ones who have to make a decision – what the future of the country should be, what the course of the country is going to be. Elections always represent a rather turbulent period. What I understood, from what I read, is that several polls demonstrate that the general support for accession to the European Union is very high in the Republic of Moldova, which means that the political parties probably reflect these polls. So this means that support for joining the European Union will continue.”
Joining the European Union brings prosperity to citizens, argues the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas. She offered the example of Estonia, her native country, where integration into the community bloc led to accelerated economic growth.
I can judge from my example, from the example of Estonia. Joining the EU always brings prosperity. Enlargement is like a convergence machine. Let me also mention some concrete figures. Four years before joining the European Union, I mean Estonia, the country’s GDP per capita represented only 5% of the European Union average. When we joined, it was higher, and now it represents 90% of the European average. What I wanted to tell you is that the European Union brings prosperity to citizens. For this reason, it is in the benefit and interest of citizens.
Citizens of the Republic of Moldova are expected to go to the polls on September 28 to elect their new Parliament. The vote comes at a crucial time for the future of Moldova, almost a year after the Moldovans voted – by a 50.38% majority – in a referendum on October 20, 2024 to amend the Constitution to join the European Union.
A delegation from the European Parliament’s Security and Defense Committee, which recently visited Chisinau, warned of the risks of foreign interference in the electoral process. European officials announced that, as in previous elections, international observers would monitor the autumn parliamentary elections.
