Relations between Moldova and the European Union

Abstract

This chapter examines relations between Moldova and the European Union since the beginning of the 1990s. What is important for these relationships is that Moldova has expressed the intention of joining the EU since the second half of the 1990s. However, despite its pro-European inclinations, it can be defined as a country that is torn between the West and the East. On the one hand, Moldova is a country with linguistic, cultural and historical ties with Romania, a Latin country which has been a member of the EU since 2007. On the other hand, it is a country with strong links with its Soviet past and Russia that perceives the whole post-Soviet area as its sphere of influences. This chapter traces the evolution of relations between Moldova and the EU: from the strangers in the 1990s to the new neighbours in the 2000s to the (alleged) partners in the 2010s. In each of these periods motivations and obstacles to cooperation between Moldova's governments and the EU as well as the attitudes of the Moldovan population toward European integration are analysed. A balance of cooperation is also presented.

Moldova’s First Quarter Century: Flawed Transition and Failed Democracy

“…Their successive governments proved adept at using the rhetorical support of democracy and feigning compliance with EU good governance initiatives, but their leaders showed no inclination to accept actual public accountability. Rather, competing factions within the governing coalition used their control over public offices to shield themselves from jeopardy and to hold their rivals in check (Całus 2016, 25-26). Increasingly flagrant corruption under the “pro-European” parties paralleled the pattern of the 2 previous periods.…”

“…From the outset of independence, Moldova’s political elite was both deeply fragmented and only partly accountable to its own population (Calus 2016, 19-21). As Soviet era institutions broke down, politics became increasingly disordered.…”

Priority directions of foreign policy of the Republic of Moldova: evolution and prospects

“…Аналізуючи дослідження, присвячені проблемам реалізації зовнішньої політики Республіки Молдова на сучасному етапі, слід зазначити, що переважну більшість науковців цікавили все ж таки практичні аспекти даного питання, зокрема, геополітичний вибір Молдови між європейською та євразійською інтеграціями. Серед них можна відзначити праці М. Арджинт, (Арджинт, 2003), М. Бенчекі, (Bencheci, 2017); А. Гудима (Гудым, 2002), К. Калуса (Calus, 2020), Г. Келдаре, С. Чеботарі (Cebotari andCăldare, 2018), С. Назарію (Назария, 2003), В. Осталета (Осталет, 2014), К. Морарі, тощо. Серед українських вчених даних питанням займалися А. Баканова (Баканова, 2015), М. Дорошко, Н. Шпакова (Дорошко та Шпакова, 2011), Г. Мельничук (Мельничук, 2018).…”