Talks unblocked: Dan Barna says first chapters will open by May at the latest
The change of regime in Budapest has revitalized the process of European Union enlargement. The first set of negotiation chapters may be officially opened by May at the latest. Romanian MEP Dan Barna asserts that the government in Chisinau is progressing with reforms at an impressive pace. "The Republic of Moldova is at the top of the class", stated the MEP during an interview on Moldova 1 TV.
According to him, the next step should be a political gesture from Brussels.
While Peter Magyar, who will replace Viktor Orban, opposes the idea of accelerated enlargement, the current discussions surrounding Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova are focused solely on the formal opening of negotiation chapters.
Peter Magyar has already communicated that Hungary is re-establishing its connection with Europe, which is promising news for the enlargement process involving the Republic of Moldova and for the opening of accession chapters. MEP Dan Barna expressed optimism, stating, "I believe that in the coming weeks—hopefully this month or by May at the latest—we will witness the opening of at least the fundamental chapter, which is the first cluster of what the accession process entails."
The MEP acknowledges that the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine will follow different paths in their integration processes. Both countries will begin by opening the first group of chapters together, but Chisinau may progress more quickly if it successfully implements reforms.
Essentially, each candidate country will have its own pace of integration. However, the Romanian MEP does not foresee an immediate political separation between the two nations.
The consensus within the union is that accession should be based on merit.
Dan Barna believes that "the reforms in the Republic of Moldova are more advanced than those in other candidate countries currently negotiating to join the European Union. It is natural for both Marta Kos and the Commission to recognize Moldova as the leading country in this regard. There should be a political gesture to open all six clusters for Moldova."
