EU Commission scrambles to keep pace with Moldova’s accession push
Moldova’s swift reform drive puts pressure on EU enlargement officials
Poinews.com – Moldova’s accelerated push toward European Union membership is moving so quickly that the European Commission has begun redirecting internal capacity to follow the country’s progress closely. Officials are shifting existing resources within the enlargement department as Chișinău advances reforms at a pace that has exceeded expectations.
The adjustment highlights a practical challenge for Brussels: candidate states can only move forward when the Commission has enough specialist capacity to assess whether reforms meet EU standards. Moldova’s progress has made it one of the most active files in an enlargement process already involving several countries at different stages.
Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos praised the country’s record after speaking with Moldova’s new prime minister, Vasile Tofan.
Moldova's impressive record of EU reforms is paying off. I had a good call with new Prime Minister Vasile Tofan during which we discussed the next steps on Moldova's EU accession path.
The Commission must examine reforms in detail, from legislation and institutional changes to implementation. Faster political action in a candidate country therefore creates greater demand for EU officials with the expertise to judge whether those measures are sustainable and aligned with the bloc’s rules.
Political momentum in Chișinău
Moldova has pursued the EU agenda intensely since Maia Sandu became president in 2020. Her election was followed by the establishment of a pro-European government holding a solid parliamentary majority, providing the political conditions for a broad reform programme.
Cristina Gherasimov, Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, described the scale of the effort as exceptional during a ministerial gathering last week.
The reforms that we are undertaking in the last five years are really unprecedented.
She said the country’s ability to deliver reforms rests on political commitment and public determination to use what she called the current opportunity offered by the European Union.
Our formula for these reforms to be successful is the political will and the determination of our people to work strongly in favour of the current window of opportunity that exists in the European Union.
For Moldova, rapid technical preparation can strengthen its position even when major political decisions remain outside its direct control. Completing reforms helps demonstrate readiness for further steps in the accession process, though it does not automatically settle disputes among EU member states.
Ukraine and Moldova remain politically linked
Moldova’s accession path is closely connected to Ukraine’s. Both countries entered the enlargement track in 2022, shortly after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and EU leaders formally opened membership negotiations with the two countries in December 2023.
This arrangement is often described as “coupling”: an informal political practice in which the accession tracks of two applicants are handled together. It can be useful during the final ratification stage because member states may approve one accession treaty for more than one country. Romania and Bulgaria, for example, joined the EU through a shared treaty in 2007.
The connection also means Moldova can be affected by obstacles facing Ukraine, even when those problems are unrelated to Moldovan reforms. Ukraine’s own reform programme has gained renewed energy since Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi took office in July, but the country continues to face the immense pressures of war and strained public finances.
The International Monetary Fund published an assessment on Tuesday of the possible economic gains from EU membership for Moldova and the Western Balkan countries. Ukraine was not included because of its substantially larger economy and the continuing military conflict.
Hungary’s changing role in Ukraine’s negotiations
Ukraine’s negotiations were held up for two years by Hungary under Viktor Orbán. The dispute centred on the treatment of Hungary’s minority community in Ukraine’s eastern Transcarpathia region. Although the issue was bilateral, it affected a wider EU process because every member state has influence over important enlargement decisions.
Progress resumed after Péter Magyar’s Tisza party removed Orbán from office in April. Budapest and Kyiv then began talks aimed at resolving their disagreements. Hungary lifted its objection to opening the first negotiation cluster in June, and the second of six clusters was opened in July.
Since then, however, the process has slowed again. More than a decade of anti-Ukraine rhetoric under Orbán has made quick advances difficult for many Hungarians to accept, leaving political uncertainty around the next stages of Kyiv’s EU path.
For Moldova, that uncertainty is significant. Its reform record may be strong, but the political decision to keep the two eastern European candidates together has limited the possibility of Chișinău moving far ahead alone. Supporters of Ukraine’s membership, particularly the Baltic states, have argued that maintaining the link during the opening of negotiation clusters remains strategically important.
Security and geopolitics shape the enlargement debate
The decision to pair the two countries reflects more than administrative convenience. Moldova has long faced a Russian military presence in its breakaway Transnistria region. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, Moldova found itself close to the conflict while Russian forces remained on territory internationally recognised as Moldovan.
Ukraine, meanwhile, sees future EU membership as a crucial strategic anchor beyond Russia’s sphere of influence. Allowing Moldova to advance while Ukraine remains constrained by a dispute with Hungary could be viewed as weakening the political message of European support for Kyiv.
Still, the technical and political dimensions of accession do not move at exactly the same speed. Moldova can continue adapting its institutions and laws while member states debate how quickly formal negotiations should proceed. The Commission’s decision to devote more attention to Moldova suggests that, regardless of those political constraints, Brussels expects the country’s reform agenda to remain a serious and active part of the EU enlargement process.
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