The videos primarily deal with the European reform priorities. The aim of the videos and TV debates is to inform the Moldovan population about current EU issues, combat fake news and create a space for discussion. They can be viewed in Romanian with Russian subtitles on the YouTube channels of the partner organisations.
Reform recommendations from the EU
The first video, published in October 2023, provides a comprehensive overview of the progress made in implementing the nine reform recommendations issued by the European Commission to the Republic of Moldova in July 2022.
Video 1: "Iulian Groza on the progress made in implementing the 9 reform recommendations"
Start of the accession negotiations
The second video, published in November 2023, deals with the implications of a positive decision to open accession negotiations. This was scheduled for the European Council meeting on 14 and 15 December 2023. The Republic of Moldova has reached this milestone and is now about to hold its first intergovernmental conference as part of the accession negotiations.
Video 2: "What can we expect after the opening of accession negotiations with the EU?"
Fake news and EU approval
The third and fourth videos deal with current "fake news" such as the misleading narrative that TV channels promoting traditional family values are being shut down by Moldovan authorities. Furthermore, the short analyses refute the claim that there is supposedly no majority of the population in favour of the Republic of Moldova's integration into the EU. It is true that approval varies by population group. However, according to an opinion poll conducted by IPRE and CBS-AXA in the summer of 2023, almost 60% of Moldovans are in favour of their country joining the EU.
Video 3, "Fact check: Why were some TV channels closed?"
Video 4: "Large majority of Moldovan citizens support the country's accession to the EU"
EU-Referendum
The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, announced in December her plans to hold a referendum on EU accession. The president, who is seeking a second term in office, said at a press conference that Moldova had a historic opportunity to initiate an accession process. The referendum would vote on enshrining Moldova's EU aspirations in the constitution to ensure that the project is not derailed by future governments. However, the referendum, scheduled for 20 October 2024, remains surrounded by speculation and misinformation. Journalist Ileana Pîrgaru debunks the reasons for speculation and misinformation in the fifth video of the NEXT4EU series.
5. Video - Pro-EU referendum - reasons for speculation and misinformation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x-5U0l4Phc
Campaign against the EU
The sixth video reports on a current campaign against the EU. The chairman of the banned Șor party, Ilan Shor, launched the "Not in the EU" campaign on 19 May. He claimed that the EU stands for high energy prices and a lack of investment. The video refutes these false claims with a view to the referendum on EU accession on 20 October: in fact, the EU has provided around 400 million euros over the last three years to tackle the energy crisis, benefiting over 895,000 Moldovans.
Video 6 - The European Union is a strategic partner for the Republic of Moldova
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_xhS-CgDro
TV debates on the Europeanisation of Moldova
The first two TV debates continued to discuss the "Europeanisation of Moldova", with a particular focus on the perspectives of young people. They discussed the development prospects of young Moldovans, the need to invest in education and how young people can actively participate in the Europeanisation process. In addition, the debates compared myths circulating among young people regarding European integration with facts and thus debunked them.
TV debate: "Moldova's integration into the EU requires a national consensus"
TV debate: "The benefits of Moldova's accession to the EU, discussed on RliveTv!"
TV debate: "European integration and progress on the EU's three remaining reform recommendations"
In the third debate, moderated by Mircea Surdu, the participants discussed progress on the three remaining EU reform recommendations: judicial reform, anti-corruption and de-oligarchisation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVC1WngXD4A
TV debate: "Challenges of the Republic of Moldova on the road to European integration"
In the last TV debate of the NEXT4EU project, Vadim Piștrinciuc (IPIS) and Iulian Groza (IPRE) discussed the challenges and solutions of the Republic of Moldova on the path to European integration.
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