European Parliament vice-president calls for opening cluster negotiations on Moldova’s accession to EU

European Parliament Vice-President Victor Negrescu has called on President of the European Council António Costa to open cluster-based negotiations on Moldova’s accession to the European Union. The call comes in the context of the parliamentary elections in Hungary, in which the opposition party secured a clear victory and incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in power for the last 16 years, conceded defeat.

According to Victor Negrescu, the European Council’s decision could be taken at the first formal meeting in June or could be agreed immediately at the level of ambassadors.

“As a result of the outcome of the elections in Hungary, I have sent, in my capacity as Vice-President of the European Parliament responsible for relations with Moldova, a letter to European Council President António Costa, to request the opening of cluster-based negotiations for Moldova’s accession to the EU. The elections in Hungary give a new opportunity for this decision, which has been delayed far too long by the unanimity rule and the opposition of the anti-European and pro-Russian government in Budapest,” Victor Negrescu said.

The vice-president of the European Parliament stressed that Moldova had made real progress and had shown that it was committed to the European path.

“Starting cluster-based negotiations would give a new impetus to the necessary reforms and would also strengthen cooperation with Romania. It is time for the European Union to confirm this course through a clear decision,” Victor Negrescu underlined.

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

In September 2025, Moldova completed the bilateral screening with the EU – a stage that analyses the compatibility of national legislation with the European acquis. In mid-December 2025, the country launched technical discussions on the first negotiating chapters. The Moldovan authorities emphasized that this stage marked a crucial phase of the accession negotiations, which will underpin future progress in the process of Moldova’s integration into the EU.