Former President of the European Council, Charles Michel, urged authorities in Chisinau to focus on reforms rather than debates about a possible separation of the Republic of Moldova from Ukraine in the EU accession process. He made the remarks during the Reinvent Moldova 2.0, organized by the Realitatea Media Group.
“Do not waste your time and energy focusing on these questions about dissociation or association,” Michel said, noting that some factors—especially those related to the situation in Ukraine—remain beyond Moldova’s control.
He emphasized that authorities should concentrate on what they can influence directly: reforms. “You must focus on what you can control—and what you can control are the reforms that can be implemented. The faster the reforms are implemented, the stronger your position will be,” the European official stated.
Michel warned that discussions about “decoupling” could unnecessarily consume time and resources. Instead, he encouraged a stronger focus on economic development and key sectors with growth potential.
“My friendly advice is to focus on economic development and priorities linked to promising sectors of the country. We are talking about the strength of Moldova’s diaspora—because if we support this diaspora, it can bring added value,” he added.
At the same time, he highlighted the importance of creating a stable and predictable business environment. “Make sure companies feel safe and have certainty, so that we can become an example for small businesses at the national level,” Michel said.
The Republic of Moldova and Ukraine both applied for membership in the European Union in 2022 and were granted candidate status. Since then, public discussions have emerged about the possibility of separating their accession tracks in order to accelerate integration based on individual progress.