Address by President Maia Sandu at the event dedicated to the Republic of Moldova, held in Brussels

 

Dear Commissioner Kos, dear Marta, 

Excellencies, dear partners, friends,

It is a great pleasure to see so many friends of Moldova here tonight.

Each of you, in your own way, has helped us face the many challenges of recent years — and still move forward on our European path. On behalf of the people of Moldova, thank you for standing with us through difficult times.

Let me also thank you personally, dear Marta — for your dedication and tireless work in advancing the enlargement agenda, and for the creativity, joy, and humour you add to it. Your leadership has brought clarity, fairness, and renewed momentum to this process.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The European Union support helped us prevail when our country was tested like never before. During my five years as President, Moldova has faced one crisis after another — a global pandemic; Russia’s full-scale invasion of our neighbour Ukraine; a million refugees crossing our borders in search of safety; thirty-five percent inflation and the economic pain of the war next door; Russia’s energy blackmail that tried — twice — to leave us in the dark and in the cold, and repeated attempts to hijack our democracy through elections.

You stood with us through every challenge. Your solidarity, your financial and technical support, your political backing — they made the difference. They helped us preserve peace and keep our democracy alive. They gave us the space to reform, to modernize, and to deliver for our citizens. Your support made it possible for us not only to endure — but to transform.

Four years ago, Moldova was fully dependent on Russian gas. Today, we buy all our gas elsewhere. Three years ago, almost all our electricity came from that one source. Today, every kilowatt we import comes through the European grid.

By the end of this year, the first high-voltage line linking us directly to the EU market will be complete — two more are on the way. In 2019, renewables made up only three percent of our electricity consumption. By the end of this year, they will power a quarter of our energy. 

No government before us dared to break Moldova’s dependence on Russia — and we did it in three years, when it seemed impossible.

At the same time, we advanced justice reform — starting with the vetting of judges and prosecutors. Today, key justice institutions are led by people who passed integrity checks.

Citizens have seen convictions for electoral corruption, and major investigations reopened from the years of state capture. In four years, Moldova has climbed thirty-nine places in Transparency International’s corruption-perception index.

We made the state more efficient and closer to people. Over half of all public services are now online. Seventy percent of entrepreneurs interact with the state digitally.

We are investing in roads, bridges, and schools — creating jobs and connecting communities. Most of our trade is now with the European Union, and we are expanding markets for Moldovan products.

Over the past years, Moldova has also fended off constant hybrid attacks aimed at breaking our democracy and reversing our European course. We have resisted disinformation, election interference, cyber attacks and repeated attempts to bring violence to our streets.

And we have remained true to who we are — a democracy where people choose their future; a country that stands on the right side of history; a supportive neighbour to Ukraine; and a reliable security partner for Europe.

These are not small achievements. They show that even in the hardest times, Moldova delivers — and that the European Union can count on Moldova.



I am pleased that today’s enlargement package recognises our progress, and confirms that the door to the Union is open — with a realistic prospect for new members to join by the end of this Commission’s mandate. I thank the European Commission — and you, dear Marta — for your constant trust, guidance, and partnership on this journey.

Dear friends,

Moldova stands ready for the next step in its accession to the European Union. We have a narrow but powerful window of opportunity.

All our institutions — the Presidency, the Parliament, and the Government — are united behind one goal: to complete negotiations by 2028 and to join the EU by 2030.

Some may call this ambitious. But nothing truly meaningful has ever been achieved without ambition. The support of all 27 Member States gives us determination. Yet momentum is precious — and must not be lost.

Every delay discourages reformers and emboldens those who seek to divide us. Advancing Moldova’s accession is not only about rewarding progress — it is about consolidating stability and democracy where it matters.

Europe can no longer afford grey zones of insecurity. Every unanchored democracy becomes a target. The best way to defend Europe’s peace is to expand its space of peace — because each time Europe has enlarged, it has grown stronger and more complete. 

I know the Union faces its own challenges. Institutional reform is complex, and sometimes uncomfortable. But history teaches us that Europe’s unity was not born of comfort, but of courage.

And let me ask you this: What would Europe be today if it had stopped with the first six who founded it? Would we have the single market? Would we have Schengen, Erasmus, or the prosperity that member states enjoy today?

Bringing in Moldova, Ukraine, and the Western Balkans will make Europe stronger, more secure, and more complete.

So tonight, I ask for your continued support — not only as representatives of European institutions, but as citizens of your own countries.

Europe’s future is shaped not only in Brussels, but in every capital across the Union — from Helsinki to Lisbon, from Tallinn to Athens. Please tell your colleagues and friends that Moldova is a partner to trust.

Share with them our story of resilience:how we kept democracy alive through hybrid attacks, how we freed ourselves from energy dependence with a war on our doorstep, how we are rebuilding trust in justice after years of corruption, and how Moldovan wine has emerged stronger from repeated Russian bans — a reminder that resilience runs deep in our soil and in our people.

This is what resilience looks like — and this is what Moldova brings to Europe.

We do not ask for shortcuts or exceptions. We ask for fairness — for the same chance others had before us. We ask to develop our economy and consolidate our democracy in the safety of the European Union, just as others once did.

When Southern Europe emerged from dictatorship, when Central and Eastern Europe rose from communism, their economies grew and their democracies were protected inside the Union.

Now we ask for the same chance — to anchor Moldova where it belongs: in Europe. If Moldova stays outside the Union, it will remain a gap in the EU’s and Ukraine’s security.

Russia will regroup and strike again — searching for new vulnerabilities, learning from its failures, sharpening its methods. And everyone in our region knows this all too well.

We will continue to face its relentless hybrid warfare designed to wear down our people and our institutions.

We have shown remarkable resilience, time and again. But even the strongest resilience needs protection — and purpose. If this is a marathon, it must have a finish line — not moving goalposts.

Our citizens need to see, through actions, that Europe’s door is open —

and that Moldova’s place is inside. I am confident that together we can make that moment possible. 

Thank you for believing in us — and for believing in Europe.