Ukraine’s and Moldova’s entry into the European Union during the next decade is out of the question, expert of the Paris-based European Union Institute for Security Studies Nicu Popescu said in an interview for Radio Free Europe, quoted by IPN.

“Regretfully, the European integration idea became a source of political demagogy in Chisinau a long time ago. This refers to another type of processes than Moldova’s rapprochement with the European Union. The European agenda was dominated by the political interests of the Democratic Party, the Liberal Democratic Party and the Liberal Party and of many other players. The economic and political decisions taken by the governments in Chisinau drove off the European integration prospects of Moldova,” said the expert.

Nicu Popescu said the country’s future, including its place on the region’s geopolitical map, depends on the country’s capacity to get out of this anti-reform blockage that represents the biggest threat to Moldova’s statehood, more than the external dangers from the West or the East. “The future President or the election of the future President can represent a chance if this allows for a greater competition of ideas and of actions among the current political class that is ossified around networks that were already reinforced by corruption,” he stated.

As to the possible candidates for the presidency, Nicu Popescu said it is absolutely clear, including in virtue of the popular approval rating of Maia Sandu and for the Platform “Dignity and Truth”, that this person and this political party have chances to satisfy the people’s wish to see a new generation on the political right too, not only on the left. But there are particular complications as the media and administrative resources will be used against the process of renewing the right, including because the current government fears this could take over the pro-European message from the parties that disappointed the pro-Europeans in Moldova.