The Europeanization of the Republic of Moldova: A Winding and Insecure Path to European Integration

Abstract

After the proclamation of Independence in 1991, the Republic of Moldova (RM) has declared its strong determination to make its way towards Europe, to which RM feels identified culturally. Although in the statements and adopted documents the state has never given up to this goal, certain actions of its political leaders seem to contradict this commitment. The paper aims to analyze the evolution process of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union (EU), the commitments assumed by both of them and their fulfillment. In addition, I will compare the progress made by Ukraine and RM towards the rapprochement to the European Union in the recent years. Some years ago Ukraine was the Eastern country with the major perspective of future integration in EU due to its democratic changes, nowadays Republic of Moldova has shown to be able to make more progress in promoting democracy and implementing governance reforms than Ukraine. On the other hand, the relationship between RM and EU continues to be influenced by the actions taken by the Russian Federation in the region where it still has significant influence and tries to maintain its presence. One of the strong tools of the influence is the dependence on energy supply and its lack of diversification. The unsettled Transdnestrian conflict is another factor determining the lack of certainty in the process of Europeanization of the RM. The paper aims to analyze the efficiency of the Europeanization of Republic of Moldova through the European Neighborhood Policy using a combined constructivist and rationalist approach.