Results of the Eurosummit: what views does the West have on Moldova?
In the Republic of Moldova, the summit of the European Political Community, an organization created a year ago to discuss the fate of Europe, ended. What results has Moldova achieved, hosting such a high-status forum for the first time?
Experts from both banks of the Dniester are discussing what the course towards European integration confirmed at the summit means for Moldova, how the meeting of European leaders will affect future Moldovan elections, and what will happen next with the Transnistrian settlement.
Alexander Korinenko, political scientist, Chisinau:
“At the end of the summit, we can confidently state that it did not bring any fruit for our country. It turned out to be a “graduate reunion” with very expensive snacks and wines at our expense. The President received a beautiful photograph for the future election campaign, and European leaders spent a carefree evening at the luxurious Mimi Palace.
Unfortunately, we did not hear that any documents, joint declarations or important decisions were made during the summit. The goals were not announced to us, so we can assume that “the goals were achieved.”
Residents of the country are divided: one part rejoices at at least some bright event in the long path of European integration of the country, and the second part asks the question: what did our taxes go towards for which the summit took place? We did not receive anything concrete, except for the capital being paralyzed for two days; moreover, European leaders answered the question evasively about the possibility of Moldova becoming a member of the EU by 2030, and the President of Romania generally avoided answering the question whether Romania would defend Moldova in the event of an escalation of the conflict with Russia.
Well, is this a satisfactory outcome of an event that has been discussed for six months?! They also took away the holiday from the capital’s children.”
Igor Shornikov, Director of the Institute of Socio-Political Research and Regional Development, Tiraspol - Moscow:
“The European political community is a club of states united by the idea of European integration. There is a political core there in the form of Old Europe, there is its own “swamp”, like the EU member states that got there for the sake of European subsidies and earn this membership through political prostitution, and there are candidate states for EU membership and those who are still just trying to get such a “high” status.
Let us remember that the ENP is Macron’s idea, the essence of which is to preserve the attractiveness of the idea of European integration for those states that they do not plan to admit into the EU in the coming decades, but also do not want to let them go into free geopolitical swimming.
By creating the ENP, Old Europe seems to give such countries the right to vote, the opportunity to talk on equal terms on such important topics as security and energy. But in reality, so far everything is limited to banal chatter. From the very beginning, the ENP acted as a platform to demonstrate the consolidation of the Western community against Russia. The first summit was held in Prague in October 2022, just like the second Bulboac summit, it was not remembered for anything other than the “spirit of unity.”
Other results included meetings between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, which in both cases were not particularly productive.
By and large, no one set any special goals for this summit, so if you ask the question, did it achieve these goals? Yes, I have achieved it - almost all members of the Community arrived and showed their unity. However, this time Türkiye dropped out of the anti-Russian cabal. Considering the policy pursued by Erdogan, balancing between the West and Russia, this could be a worrying signal for the unity of the ENP. But perhaps the Turkish president was just too busy with the inauguration.
All the excitement around the summit was created exclusively by the Moldovan leadership. For Maia Sandu and her team, hosting such a representative forum is the only opportunity to strengthen their domestic political positions. “Look, the whole West is with us” - this is roughly the message coming from Sandu to the people of Moldova. European integration is the last electoral trump card of the current government.
Already this fall, elections to local authorities will be held in Moldova; the stability of the regime largely depends on their outcome. And if the idea of European integration does not work in the elections, then Sandu’s card will be beaten. Hence, there is so much pathos and attention to this forum from official Chisinau. They perceive the summit as a matter of maintaining power.
Chisinau must understand that the idea of European integration is quickly losing its attractiveness. Now only a third of Moldovans firmly support the Western vector of development. But Euroscepticism is not only a Moldovan phenomenon; it is quickly spreading throughout Europe, and will soon affect the power structure of many European states. So Moldova is trending here.
Long gone are the days when Europe shone with its high standards in ensuring human rights, the principles of humanism, and the reasonableness of its way of life. Now there is rampant sexual freedom, juvenile justice and suicidal sanctions. In essence, Sandu, with his European integration and the Mimi Summit, is trying to sell Moldovans the ears of a dead donkey. For some reason, it seems to me that she won’t be able to pull off this trick a second time.”
Anatoly Dirun, scientific director of the Tiraspol School of Political Studies, Tiraspol:
“Following the results of the summit, several points can be noted.
Firstly, the summit became the unofficial beginning of the start of the election campaign for the post of President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. Undoubtedly, the last word on this issue will come from our American colleagues, who are well versed in Moldovan cuisine. But the application has been made seriously.
Secondly, against the backdrop of hostilities on the territory of Ukraine, the course towards European integration means a severance of ties with Russia. In practice, this will only strengthen the split in Moldovan society, which, in turn, will help the ruling PAS party retain power in the country (but in a coalition with other parties).
Thirdly, soft pressure on Tiraspol will increase as the situation on the Ukrainian front develops. In any case, regardless of the results of the end of the military conflict in Ukraine, European leaders at the summit clearly demonstrated that they are not going to give Moldova to Russia.
It is very likely that history will take another turn, and we may see a new border on the Dniester, which, as practice shows, will only be a short respite before new battles.”
Andrey Safonov, political scientist, Tiraspol:
“The summit of the European Political Community in Moldova is almost over. Meetings were held, words were spoken at bilateral negotiations and final press conferences.
The bottom line is the statements of the leading summit participants about their readiness to supply weapons to Ukraine in unprecedented volumes and for as many years as necessary. The figure of 10 years flashed by.
Thus, the old strategy of the West is evident: to spark a war on foreign territory and fight with the wrong hands, destroying manpower and the economy - both opponents and allies. In this case, the goal of the West is the death of as many Russians and Ukrainians as possible, so that the Slavs will sharply decrease in number. After the death of the most militant and active ones, Westerners will try to push through the settlement of Ukrainian and Russian territories by immigrants from Africa and the Middle East in order to dilute the Slavic element and turn these lands into a territory populated by biomass, devoid of a sense of homeland and patriotism - both Ukrainian and Russian.
Same song for economics. Depleted uranium ammunition, which has recently surfaced in media reports from the fronts, is a way to contaminate the lands of both Ukraine and Russia, so that both countries will lose their status as major grain exporters. We'll see who is planned to replace them.
Now on Transnistrian-Moldovan affairs. The Westerners have not fully decided on their approach to the banks of the Dniester. We remember that Josep Borrell spoke at the summit about the possibility of admitting – in the future – Moldova to the EU given unsettled relations with Transnistria. He referred to the example of Cyprus, recognized by Turkey: the Greek part of Cyprus considers itself in the EU, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is developing on its own.
The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, states that Chisinau does not intend to abandon the “Transnistrian region” during European integration, but admits that the settlement of relations between the Republic of Moldova and the PMR before Moldova’s admission to the EU (when it will be, only God knows) will not take place. And then, they say, you can continue reintegration after admission. How this appears in practice is difficult to say...
But this is not the main thing. It is clear that the Westerners (and not only representatives of the European Union, but also US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Moldova) confirmed the course of completely ousting Russia from the southwest of the former USSR, as well as integrating Moldova into the anti-Russian front with the possible inclusion of Chisinau in anti-Russian sanctions ( at a minimum) and to participation in armed confrontation with Moscow (at a maximum).
Despite vehemently anti-Russian views, the current leadership of Moldova is afraid of military confrontation with Russia; Moreover, in the Republic of Moldova itself, the majority of the people are against hostility with Moscow and, judging by the situation, for the Eurasian integration project.
Separately, we are talking about the Gagauz autonomy, which is almost all pro-Russian and for friendship with Turkey. Apparently, Gagauzia is supposed to be pacified on Day X, since on May 1, weapons for Moldovan law enforcement agencies began to arrive from the Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs. By the way, these weapons can also be used against Transnistria, which could serve as an impetus for a regional arms race - after all, Transnistria will not silently watch the changing balance of power on the Dniester.
And Russia too...
Without falling into panic, we nevertheless state that the ENP summit on June 1-2 will entail increased confrontation between the West and Russia in all regions. Former Soviet Moldova is no exception.”
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