Date/Time
Date(s) - 10/04/2025
10:30 - 12:00

Categories

Other

Dear colleagues,

The European Council on Foreign Relations and the International Practitioners Network (Estonia) invite you to the mini-seminar “Moldova’s Next Chapter: Elections, EU Hopes, and Geopolitical Shifts.” Two distinguished Moldovan civil society analysts will share their insights on the country’s political landscape ahead of the autumn parliamentary elections.

The seminar will take place at the Press Club Brussels Europe Rue Froissart 95 on Thursday, 10th April from 10:30 to 12:00 AM.

Speakers:

Nicu Popescu served as Moldova’s Foreign Minister from 2021 to 2024 and currently holds the position of Distinguished Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. He will analyze Moldova’s preparations for starting accession negotiations and the impact of the sharply changed security situation on this process.

Valeriu Pasha is the head and lead analyst at WatchDog, one of Moldova’s most influential think tanks. His talk will focus on: “What factors influence Moldovan voters’ choice between East and West?”

To confirm your participation, we kindly ask you to register at your earliest convenience, but no later than Tuesday, 9 April, using the following link:

REGISTRATION

Background

Last year, pro-European president Maia Sandu was re-elected for a second term, and Moldova’s EU accession was enshrined in the country’s constitution. This occurred despite the Kremlin reportedly spending an estimated 100 million dollars on Foreign Influence and Manipulation Initiatives (FIMI) and orchestrating large-scale vote-buying schemes through network marketing tactics.

The Kremlin continues its efforts to destabilize Moldova and influence this year’s parliamentary elections to derail Moldova’s EU aspirations. To this end, the Kremlin initiated an energy crisis in January by cutting off gas supplies to the unrecognized breakaway region of Transnistria. In response, the European Union acted swiftly, allocating substantial financial support for both Moldova and Transnistria to secure gas supplies.

In April, the EU’s Reform and Growth Facility for Moldova is set to receive final approval. This facility will provide €1.9 billion in financial support based on a Reform Agenda, which outlines key socio-economic and fundamental reforms aimed at accelerating growth, fostering convergence with the EU, and addressing priority investment needs.

We look forward to your participation!

Best regards,

Nicu Popescu, European Council on Foreign Relations and Tiina Ilsen International Practitioners´ Partnership Network, Estonia

P.S. International Practitioners’ Partnership Network (PractNet) is an Estonian non-profit organization that designs and implements training and advising programs to share Estonia’s democratic transition experience and expertise with its partner countries with specific focus on strategic communication, countering disinformation and malicious foreign manipulations.