More Than Symbolism

The EU-Moldova summit in Chișinău on July 4 might have looked like just another round of diplomatic formalities with speeches, handshakes, and group photos. But underneath the choreography lay something more significant: a strategic effort on the part of the EU to strengthen Moldova's European trajectory. EU leaders delivered a clear, coordinated message on Moldova’s accession path.

No other small country has had its own bilateral summit. Generally, the EU organizes such meetings only with bigger countries such as Turkey, Japan, or the United States. In addition, of the nine current EU candidate countries, only strategic partners such as Turkey and Ukraine have had their own bilateral summit with the EU.

According to the July 4 summit announcements, the European Union will support Moldova's European path by disbursing the pre-financing of €270 million from the Growth Plan, accelerating its support for socio-economic and fundamental reforms, intensifying its contribution to resilience in the face of hybrid threats through the EU Partnership Mission, including Moldova in the Creative Europe and Erasmus+ programs, and other initiatives. Most importantly, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen stated clearly at the summit that the EU is ready to defend the Republic of Moldova against Russian disinformation “in any respect”.

The Kremlin's reaction was predictably swift and vociferous. An avalanche of disinformation narratives and a staged protest against the event sought to discredit the summit as Western interference in internal affairs—an echo of tactics Moscow has used elsewhere in the region. These reactions are a clear indicator that the event carried weight and that the summit was being watched very carefully in Moscow.

Moldova’s parliamentary election on September 28 could be a make-or-break moment for consolidating democracy and undercutting Russia’s ability to foment violence and instability in the country. Russia is already mobilizing significant resources to undermine Moldova’s efforts to accelerate its pro-European trajectory, as it did during last year’s presidential elections and EU referendum. But this time, Russia’s interference is likely to be even more intense, as the stakes are higher and Moldova’s European path appears more irreversible.

As Moldova heads into a volatile election period, sustained support will count for more than declarations. What happens next will determine whether this was a turning point or just another missed opportunity in the EU's neighborhood. What is different about this summit is that the EU is increasingly treating Moldova as a test case to see if its enlargement policy is on the right track.