Europe puts Moldova centre stage
Written by David McAllister, MEP, IDU Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the European Parliament
On June 1st, all 47 European heads of state and government – with the exception of Russia and Belarus – were invited to Mimi Castle in Bulboaca, Moldova to take part in the second summit of the European Political Community, a young diplomatic forum that gathered for the first time last October in Prague. This forum is intended to strengthen informal political exchange on the European continent – deliberately far beyond the borders of the European Union. It offers the heads of state and government of the EU member states the opportunity to engage with a broader range of partners than usual. This includes those that already hold EU candidate status or are waiting for it, but also those that in principle do not want to join the EU or have left in the past.
Attendance was high with all heads of state and government participating apart from the recently re-elected President of Turkey and the Prime Minister of San Marino. Despite its high-level nature, the European Political Community has taken up little space in public reporting – perhaps because doubts remain about the long-term viability of the concept. Inevitably, its size presents a major obstacle, as does its political and cultural diversity and the traditional rivalries between many of its members, from Armenia and Azerbaijan to Greece and Turkey. For this reason, members agreed on a loose and informal format, without an extensive agenda and the need of a final communiqué. This allows ample time for informal exchanges between leaders, some of whom might not otherwise meet. It is precisely this nature that made both summits convey an image of continental unity against the Russian war of aggression and for a Europe of peace. Moldovan President Maia Sandu described the gathering as “an expression of our unity, strength and determination, to act together as one family”.
The fact that the second summit now took place in Moldova – not 20 kilometres from the border with Ukraine – was certainly no coincidence. Moldova is being openly targeted by the Kremlin for its Euro-Atlantic choice and its solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Moldova’s energy security is under constant threat from Russia, which has weaponized its dominant position as a gas supplier to put the Moldovan government under pressure. Russia continues to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova through the presence of its troops in the region of Transnistria. A worrying escalation was the violation of the Moldovan airspace by Russian missiles that were targeted at Ukraine. The statements of the Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, identifying Moldova as Russia’s possible next target, are a further indication of this hostile and threatening attitude and are utterly unacceptable.
Not only have President Maia Sandu and the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) – a member-party of our International Democrat Union – not succumbed to such energy blackmail, but they have at the same time implemented an ambitious reform program based on respect for democratic principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms. Major legislative initiatives, tailored to the nine conditions set by the European Commission for opening EU accession negotiations, have been introduced over the past year. The adoption of the comprehensive strategy for the justice sector and the decisive steps taken towards its implementation are to be particularly commended as are the measures taken to combat corruption.
Assigning the Republic of Moldova EU candidate status last year was a firm recognition of the country’s aspirations and of its determination to implement the necessary reforms. It marked the beginning of the next important stage of Moldova’s European integration, which was reiterated at last week’s summit. The message was clear: Moldova’s – just as much as Ukraine’s – place is in Europe. This common denominator of the EPG was expressed in the “family photo” of all heads of state and government which was taken with Maia Sandu and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in their midst.