Chișinău hopes for unblocking EU enlargement after change of power in Hungary

The change of government in Hungary could have an impact on its position regarding the enlargement of the European Union, including on the accession process of the Republic of Moldova, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mihai Popșoi told a TV show.

The official emphasized that bilateral relations between Chișinău and Budapest have been constructive, regardless of the political forces in power.


“The administration in Budapest has never had difficulties in its relationship with the Republic of Moldova. On the contrary, we have had solid relations, regardless of political changes,” Mihai Popșoi said.


At the same time, the deputy prime minister expressed hope that the new political context could influence previous positions regarding the blocking of certain decisions at the European level.


“The change of government will have an impact on that veto, or we hope it will have an impact on that veto,” Popșoi said.


Referring to the European integration process, the foreign minister noted that the Republic of Moldova is continuing its preparations, even in the absence of a formal decision to open negotiations.


“We are already doing the work as if we had this green light, so that we can move quickly to the next stages,” he said.


According to Popșoi, the European Commission has positively evaluated Chișinău’s progress, noting that the Republic of Moldova has recorded the most significant advances among candidate states over the past year. The official highlighted substantial progress in areas such as foreign policy and energy security.

At the same time, the deputy prime minister rejected the idea of a decline in the interest of European partners, announcing the organization of a large-scale event in Chișinău.


“In the coming weeks we will host the ministerial meeting of the Council of Europe, which will be attended by ministers from most member states,” Popșoi specified.


With regard to the downgrading of the Republic of Moldova in international democracy rankings, the official stated that the authorities will analyze the causes and continue reforms.


“It is our responsibility to improve this rating by strengthening democratic institutions and the rule of law,” Popșoi said.


The Republic of Moldova submitted its application for accession to the European Union on 3 March 2022, and on 23 June 2022 it obtained the status of candidate country, with a recommendation to continue reforms. In November 2023, European assessments confirmed Moldova’s progress and recommended the opening of accession negotiations, a decision approved by EU leaders in December 2023. On 25 June 2024, accession negotiations officially began.

In September 2025, the Republic of Moldova completed the bilateral screening with the EU – a stage that assesses the compatibility of national legislation with the European acquis. In mid-December 2025, our country launched technical discussions on the first negotiation chapters. The authorities in Chișinău underlined that this stage marks a crucial phase of the accession negotiations, which will form the basis for future progress in the process of integrating the Republic of Moldova into the EU.