The submission by Ukraine of the application for EU membership under the pressure of war opened a window of opportunity for the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, said representatives of Moldovan civil society. According to them, the European integration of the Republic of Moldova can be fast-tracked only if reforms are done swiftly. The EU will not make exceptions for these countries, said political experts.
According to the leader of the Party of Change Ștefan Gligor, Moldova’s decision to file an application for EU membership will represent a test of the sincerity of our relations with Brussels. There is a challenging path from the submission of the application up to integration.
“The European Union’s openness to its neighbors in such circumstances, under the big pressure of the military aggression, should be greater. The EU should take more determined steps to extend the partnership with the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia. The submission of these applications will be a test for the EU. By the reaction of the member states and the European institutions, we will see how sincere the EU is. The Republic of Moldova is not yet institutionally and economically ready to join the European Union. The integration process will take place in stages – associated state, candidate state, fulfillment of all treaty conditions and obtaining of membership status,” Ștefan Gligor stated in the talk show “Ghețu Asks” on TV8.
Political commentators voiced hope that the opposition leaders will not come with messages to divide society according to political criteria following the authorities’ decision to file this application. They referred to parliamentary and extraparliamentary parties’ assertions that the moment for such an application is now fully inopportune.
“I hope we will not have destabilization in the Republic of Moldova now that we have a war on the border. I hope the parties in the Republic of Moldova will behave maturely and will avoid messages that divide society. The fact that the President had meetings with parliamentary and extraparliamentary parties is a signal that provocative messages should be avoided,” said “Viitorul” expert Veaceslav Berbeca.
IPRE expert Mihai Mogâldea expressed his skepticism about the EU’s readiness to make exceptions for the three associate states so as to allow them to join by a simplified procedure.
“We must take into account the circumstances in which this application was filed. A window of opportunity was opened for the Republic of Moldova and for Georgia after Ukraine submitted the application in a different context than our context. The fast-tracked procedure beyond the European Union’s treaties is not possible. The procedures can be hastened by the European Union’s and the Republic of Moldova’s efforts to accelerate this process and to do reforms at a higher speed,” stated Mihai Mogâldea.
On February 28, the Ukrainian leader signed Ukraine’s application for EU membership. Several days later, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s gesture was followed by the Georgian and Moldovan authorities.
