European MP says elections in EU can influence Moldova’s path, European support stays strong

The process of Moldova’s accession to the European Union could be influenced by political developments in the member states, but the overall direction remains favorable. The president of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Moldova, MEP Siegfried Muresan has made statements to this effect during the show, At 360 Degrees, broadcast on Radio Moldova.

Muresan stressed that the results of the future elections in major European countries would matter, but are not, at this point, a major cause for concern.

“As a democratic politician, I do not know how the next elections will turn out and I will not speculate about which governments will come to power. However, if in a member state the friends of the Russian Federation, extremist, anti-European and populist politicians win, this could be a reason for concern,” the official underlined.

The MEP specified that, at present, the context is favorable for Moldova.

“We are not in that situation now; we do not need to be afraid. We know that, next year, important elections will take place in four major EU member states – France, Italy, Spain and Poland – and the governments of all these states are not only in favor of Moldova’s accession, but are also supportive,” Siegfried Muresan noted.

In the context, the official highlighted the support of European leaders: “Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk and President of France Emmanuel Macron are great friends of Moldova and have helped the country at every stage of the integration process.”

Nevertheless, Muresan warned about the risk posed by extremist political forces: “Those few MEPs who abstain or vote against are populist extremists who, in principle, repeat the agenda of the Russian Federation. It is important that they do not come to power in the member states of the European Union.”

Accession depends on reforms, not on “shortcuts”

Referring to the speed of the accession process, the MEP praised the approach of the Moldovan authorities.

“Moldova does not want a shortcut to accession; it wants accession as a result of meeting the criteria. This is the best path – the serious implementation of all reforms,” Muresan underlined.

He emphasized that this strategy offers solid guarantees for success: “Accession will naturally become a reality, with broad political and societal support in all European Union member states.”

At the same time, Muresan noted the role of the Moldovan leadership in accelerating the process.

“I appreciate the fact that the authorities have set a target. The 2030 horizon as an accession date helps and speeds up the work of the European institutions,” the MEP said.

The 2030 horizon, an objective that speeds up integration

Although there is no official date set at the European level, the MEP believes that setting a clear objective has a positive impact: “By setting this objective, processes move faster, negotiations are facilitated. It will matter less whether accession takes place in 2029, 2030 or 2031.”

In his opinion, the essential element is the shared will: “What matters are the progress made and the fact that the European Union wants Moldova to become, in the not too distant future, a full-fledged member state.”

Strong European support, but dependent on political context

Muresan’s conclusion is that the European path of Moldova is firmly anchored, but requires vigilance and continuity: “It is important that the other member states also have pro-European governments after the elections. People will decide, and this will influence the pace of the process.”

Moldova is stepping up its efforts toward European integration and political support at the level of the European Union remains substantial, yet conditioned by internal domestic developments in member states and by the continuation of reforms in Chisinau.