The presidential elections in October and November 2024 and the EU referendum in the Republic of Moldova ended with a narrow positive result for Maia Sandu the pro-EU forces inside the country. However, support for the referendum and the pro-European President Sandu was very weak, particularly in rural areas. These results highlight the importance of dialogue on Moldova's EU integration away from the capital.
Against this background, the role of local authorities in EU accession negotiations and their co-operation with the central government and the Bureau for European Integration should be given more attention. In addition, more information needs to be provided on the economic opportunities of EU accession for rural areas and local businesses, particularly with regard to the use of EU pre-accession instruments. For agriculture and regional development, EU integration harbours potential, but also administrative and technical challenges for local actors.
Building on the first two local dialogues in Stefan Voda and Falesti in September and October 2024, the third local dialogue of the CAPACITY4EU project took place in Glodeni on 26 November 2024. More than 25 representatives of civil society, local government, the private sector and mayors of surrounding towns and villages took part in the dialogue.