NEXT4EU Exchange Visit in Berlin

25/06/2024

The political situation in Germany and other EU member states continues to be characterised by the continuous support for Ukraine against Russian aggression and the growing political extremes in the European party spectrum.

The talks during the NEXT4EU visit in Berlin showed the increased interest of German civil society in the pro-European reform efforts in the Republic of Moldova, which extend across all levels of social life, including the Moldovan public administration, the economy and the judicial system. These efforts are no easy task under the difficult circumstances, but the Republic of Moldova is in the process of increasing its resilience with the support of Germany, the EU and the Western supporting states. This includes diversification in the energy sector, support against disinformation and hybrid threats and the expansion of cooperation in the defence sector.

Nevertheless, reform efforts in the justice sector have not yet produced the desired tangible results and the Moldovan government has not yet succeeded in rallying the entire country behind the EU course. EU skepticism is widespread, for example in the autonomous region of Gagauzia. This also poses a challenge for the planned EU referendum in October 2024, which will be held in parallel with the first round of the presidential elections.

The exchange on questions of European political communication with European political organisations in Berlin created an opportunity for mutual learning, e.g. how to counter the growing disinformation. Discussions with political stakeholders in Berlin, as well as civil society dialogue in cooperation with the German-Moldovan Forum, offered the opportunity to integrate the concerns of Moldovan representatives into the German discourse on the Republic of Moldova.