Tana Foarfă, on Moldova 1 TV: Moldova's accession to the EU - a matter of "when, not if"
Moldova's accession to the European Union is "a matter of when, not if," according to Tana Foarfă, the director of the Europuls Expertise Center. She was referring to the European Commission's annual enlargement report, which was approved on November 4. The report recognizes Chisinau's technical and political progress, despite the geopolitical challenges the country faces.
Tana Foarfă asserts that in the next decade, there will be significant progress on the enlargement front within the European Union (EU).
She emphasizes the need for preparations on both sides—at the level of European institutions and national ones.
"First, the Republic of Moldova must continue its technical preparations. This includes readying to open negotiation chapters, which it has already started, and once those chapters are opened, it must make necessary advancements in each chapter while maintaining its focus on reforms and investments," Tana Foarfă stated during the November 4 edition of the show IN CONTEXT on Moldova 1 TV.
The Republic of Moldova between Hungary and Ukraine
In discussing the geopolitical landscape, Tana Foarfă highlighted the challenging position of the Republic of Moldova, which "is still under pressure, caught between Hungary and Ukraine."
"This isn’t necessarily a dynamic issue involving one country against another. You mentioned Hungary in this context because there has been a stance regarding the granting and official opening of chapters. However, we shouldn't view this as a matter of one country versus another. It's about negotiations within the European Council, where member states discuss and make decisions. There are sensitive factors at play, and each member state has its own interests," she explained.
Increased support from the European Union
Reflecting on the internal dynamics of the EU, the director of Europuls pointed out that, following sustained efforts to align with European standards, Chisinau deserves "greater support from Brussels."
"The EU is working to find solutions that will help these states maintain their pro-European course while providing them with clear objectives. For instance, in the Commission's report on the Republic of Moldova in the annual enlargement package, we see acknowledgement of the progress made. Additionally, there is a desire on the part of the Commission to open the clusters by the end of the year, with a target mentioned for closing negotiations by 2028," noted the director of the Europuls Expertise Center.
According to the EU's Annual Enlargement Package, the Republic of Moldova has made the most significant progress in a single year among candidate countries, achieving 98% alignment with the Common Foreign and Security Policy. This advancement comes despite the country facing hybrid threats.
The European Commission's findings indicate that Moldova has made "advanced progress" in the energy sector over the past year. Additionally, the country has demonstrated a "good" level of preparation in several other areas, including foreign policy, defense and security, and fisheries.
