MEPs praise Moldova’s EU membership efforts

Commending EU candidate country Moldova’s exemplary commitment to advancing its progress towards EU integration, a report approved on Tuesday morning by Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs, with 52 votes in favour, 11 against with 3 abstentions, recognises that EU-Moldova relations have entered into a new phase. Cooperation has intensified alognside sustained efforts by Chișinău to align Moldova’s laws with the so-called EU acquis. Despite significant internal and external challenges, such as the effects of Russia’s continuing war against neighbouring Ukraine and Moscow’s interference in the country’s democratic processes, MEPs welcome the Moldovan government’s progress on the enlargement agenda, including within the bilateral screening process and the ambition to open negotiations on several clusters. MEPs call on the European Commission to enhance its support for the Moldovan government to achieve these objectives. Russian interference in Moldova’s democratic processes MEPs note that both the constitutional referendum on European integration and the latest presidential election in Moldova held at the end of 2024 confirmed the support of a majority of Moldovans for EU membership and pro-European reforms. Despite being subject to a massive hybrid campaign by Russia and its proxies, MEPs say both the referendum and the election were held professionally and “with and extraordinary sense of duty and dedication”. They also note that the parliamentary elections in autumn 2025 will...