Euronews: Ms Deputy Prime Minister, what is your role, because we are talking about European integration, in the entire process of joining the European family of Moldova?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: As Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, my role is to coordinate national efforts to integrate the Republic of Moldova into the European Union. I am also the Chief Negotiator for accession to the European Union. In this capacity, I guide the negotiating team throughout the negotiation process.

 

Euronews: What does the Chief Negotiator mean?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: The position of Chief Negotiator means the person who assumes the role of coordinating efforts internally to prepare the Republic of Moldova and has represented the national interests of the Republic of Moldova in the accession process.

 

Euronews: Moldova showed its interest in joining the European family shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and became a candidate country for the European Union. Recently, a screening has also started between the European Community and the Republic of Moldova. If you can tell us little about what happened and what is the role?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: Indeed, we applied in March 2022 and only within three months managed to obtain candidate status, and within 2 years we managed to officially launch negotiations with the European Union. In the first phase of the negotiation that we have already completed, we went with the Government team to Brussels, where European Commission experts presented our European legislation as it is and next for us, the country’s preparation process for accession. In this 2^th phase of screening, we will present our normative framework to the Commission’s experts for each negotiating chapter. We are about to present our plans for the future, so that by 2030 we are prepared internally to join the Union.

 

Euronews: What are the biggest challenges in this accession process?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: I believe that first, like any candidate country at the beginning of the way, we are in the process of forming a fairly large and competent team in Chisinau, but not just in Chisinau, so we can represent our country at the highest level.

 

Let us take a little time to strengthen our administrative capacities. We have already started this process in preparation for the formal launch of negotiations. And I would like to say that we are somewhere in the middle. Another challenge in this process is of course the speed with which we plan to move. It is important to focus not only on speed but also on quality. And here again, to return to that administrative capacity that we are now developing.

 

Euronews: The objective is 2030, at least in a first phase, in which the Republic of Moldova is ready internally to implement the acquis. How viable is this objective?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: It is true that countries such as Albania took around 5 years from the moment of the application for membership to the moment the candidate status was obtained, and North Macedonia took them approximately 17 years from the moment the candidate status was obtained until the launch of the negotiations. And it is equally true that since 2004-2007, the interest in expanding Brussels, but also of the other European capitals, has diminished. But we see this window of opportunity created by the geopolitical context in the region, created by Russia’s serious and unfair war towards Ukraine, and this window of opportunity has reinvigorated interest in enlargement. It is our interest to capitalise on this window, both us and Ukraine, but also other states, including those in the Balkans and the West, so that we can anchor Moldova in that European area that means peace, prosperity and stability.

 

Euronews: As regards the chapters to be opened, where will you encounter, from what you know so far, the greatest difficulties?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: We are most likely to encounter difficulties in implementing European legislation in the agricultural sector. It is therefore an intense process for farmers. Similarly, we assume that for the environment too, a chapter that will be one where it will be more difficult to bring us in line with the standards of the European Union in such a time. We also see difficulties in the Western Balkan states, exactly on these chapters, and we assume that we will also be going through the same experience. At the same time, we are already planning with the teams in these ministries to first expand our teams, to have as open as possible communication and dialogue with both business and associations.

 

Euronews: What does it mean to expand? I.e. will you have a team in each ministry that specialises exactly on this part of accession to the European Union, how will it facilitate the process?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: In these two ministries, we have very good, but very small, teams from this perspective, given that European agricultural and environmental legislation is around two thirds of all European legislation, so we need to scale up our teams so that we can maintain the accelerated pace we have proposed.

 

There is a risk of retention on the part of farmers working in this area, because we know this, was also a problem at European Union level, even in countries that are already fully members of the European Union.

 

This is an opportunity for our economy, for our agriculture, to expand access to a single European market of around 500 million consumers. This is an opportunity that our farmers, do not have in Moldova, where the consumer market is very small. Of course, we also have a process in which we will strengthen our competitiveness, become much more competitive, strengthen our economy so that we succeed in being on an equal footing with any other Member State of the European Union. Inability to access and benefit from this single market.

 

Euronews: I know that funds are available prior to the actual accession to the European Union. To what extent does the Republic of Moldova have access to these funds at this stage and the capacity to access European funds?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: Over the last few years, the Republic of Moldova has benefited from a large number of European Union funds. At the same time, as part of pre-accession funds, they are to be offered to us in the near future. And of course, we are in the process of preparing our internal capacity to maximise, make the most of these funds.

 

Euronews: I am saying that the Republic of Moldova may have problems with the implementation of the acquis in the area of justice, corruption.

 

Cristina Gherasimov: Judicial reform is now on track. We see the system and corrupt elements in the practical system trying to block this reform both among judges and prosecutors, which makes us know that we are on the right track, on the right way. We intend to move with the completion of the extraordinary evaluation process of judges and prosecutors, in the hope that we will soon succeed in strengthening a truly independent justice system, which is in fact the cornerstone of any consolidated democracy within the European Union.

 

Euronews: Was there resistance from whom?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: From prosecutors. From some judges who do not want to change, reform justice, do not want this process of time to assess their wealth, integrity, because they have certain black stones in their experience and professional career.

 

That is to say, in practice, once they have implemented this judicial reform, prosecutors and judges alike would have to submit declarations of assets and incompatibility. There is also a system that operates Romania, NIA and beyond, and subsequent checks.

 

We have already managed to carry out this assessment, the judiciary, self-government, the Supreme Prosecutorial Council, the Supreme Judicial Council. And now these self-governing bodies are to clean up the rest of the system. This means that only integrated judges and prosecutors will remain in the system.

 

Euronews: We are discussing an accession process that will extend over a long period of time. In the Republic of Moldova, elections follow shortly on 20 October, extremely important and historic presidential elections, as many analysts, even above the Ocean, nominate them, and a referendum in which people will be asked whether they want to join the European Union or not. Let’s talk about this referendum for the first time. What do you expect?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: The referendum we will hold on 20 October is our opportunity to unify society, strengthen that irreversible path to the European Union. We are sure that the support we see, the public support we see today in the Republic of Moldova will also be reflected in that referendum outcome. Because joining the European Union is our only way to strengthen democracy and defend us in that area of peace that every Moldovan citizen wants today.

 

Euronews: Will the Constitution also be amended?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: It is precisely in the Constitution that our irreversible path to the European Union is to be clearly specified.

 

Euronews: What will happen if the result of the referendum is not the desired one? I.e. you will not have the answer from people to the European Union.

 

Cristina Gherasimov: Such a possibility exists in any referendum. There is such a risk. At the same time, we are working to keep our citizens informed of the importance of this vote, the decision that each of us will take, and we very much hope, we are confident that every citizen of the Republic of Moldova has a very good understanding of the responsibility that lies with each of us. And if we are able to mobilise citizens to go to vote, we are sure that the vector to the European Union will be consented to in our constitution as a result of these elections.

 

‘Anchoring the Republic of Moldova in this European area means first and foremost peace, stability and prosperity’

 

Euronews: At the moment, there is information that Russia is trying very much or there is a strong Russian interference with the information zone in the Republic of Moldova, because it speaks of informing people about the European path of the Republic of Moldova. What are the risk assessments you have done? How does this Russian interference pose a threat?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: We have been facing disinformation in the Republic of Moldova for a long time. But it is true that the intensity of this risk has increased and will continue to grow as we approach the referendum on Presidential Election Day. We are working for society to be able to pass on to our citizens, whether through the voices of civil society, colleagues from the government, what are the advantages of the European Union and what will be the benefits that anchoring our country in the European Union will bring to us. There are a few myths that circulate in the information space. The biggest, or so, the most dangerous is the one trying to associate the European Union with the possibility of war in the Republic of Moldova. It is clear that you have forgotten what Ukraine has fought by choosing the European vector, choosing the Euro-Atlantic vector, because Ukrainians have chosen to be part of the European Union and want to bring their country to NATO. He provoked the Russian Federation to attack them.

 

Euronews: There is a message of disinformation that if Moldova chooses the European path, it could be attacked by Russia. How do you combat such misinformation? What can you do, what tools do you have at your disposal?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: The Community of European States has created the European Union to strengthen peace on the European continent. We have not seen any war between the Member States of the European Union during all decades of the foundation of the European Union. Anchoring the Republic of Moldova in this European area means first and foremost peace, stability and prosperity. This is the argument we come to the citizens to show, in fact, the reverse. The European Union is a peace project and we want to be part of this project.

 

Euronews: You are afraid that this message will not reach many people enough, as we know the Russian disinformation machine globally.

 

Cristina Gherasimov: We trust our citizens that they will be able to differentiate between those myths and disinformation that circulate and the truth about the European Union. Because again every day we discuss the benefits and what the European Union is. Citizens fear things that they do not understand or know. When we discuss these things, we give very clear examples, we bring more transparency and understanding. What we hope will diminish from these fears that could cause some sense of uncertainty for our citizens.

 

‘It is clear that our citizens are already European citizens. What remains to be done is to bring the Republic of Moldova to the European Union as well’

 

Euronews: There are surveys showing that there is a large proportion of the population who do not want the European orientation.

 

Cristina Gherasimov: In any society there are citizens who see the Republic of Moldova’s foreign policy differently. We want good relations with any state with which we have international relations. At the same time, 25 per cent of our citizens still see Russia as the foreign policy vector for Moldova. We once again try to talk to everyone to explain the benefits and benefits of Moldova’s defence in the European area. It is clear that our citizens are already European citizens. What remains to be done is to bring the Republic of Moldova to the European Union as well.

 

Euronews: There is an important test for the Republic of Moldova, a hall, presidential election. If President Maia Sandu leaves office and wins a new mandate, it is clear that the Moldovan direction is kept on this vector line towards Europe, to Brussels. If Maia Sandu does not pass, what happens to this European path of the Republic of Moldova?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: If we look at those public and independent surveys, we see that President Maia Sandu will win a 2^nd mandate that will give us the continuity of our European journey. The question in Chisinau is whether she will win from the first or 2^nd round, but there is no discussion that the President will not succeed in winning.

 

Euronews: How much has the war in Ukraine affected you as a country?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: After Ukraine, our country is the country most affected by this war. At our hotspot, everything related to security has become today, let’s say this is an uncertainty. Investors come harder, but still come. We have 1.200 km of hotline with Ukraine. It means investing much more in security, and these efforts take on the resources we could invest in projects for citizens.

 

The Russian Federation does not respect the independence and sovereignty of the former Soviet Union and from this perspective, seeing in the early months of the war as rapidly as the Russian Federation progressed, there was a risk that it would not stop if it reached the border with the Republic of Moldova. However, we saw that the Ukrainian army managed to resist. The most complicated were those first months, the first months in which they did not believe that Ukrainians would be able to resist. And that today Ukraine is the shield of the Republic of Moldova, it is the European Union’s shield to prevent the Russian Federation with revisionist intentions to move forward in its attacks.

 

Euronews: What are the priorities of the Republic of Moldova in the coming years?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: Our first priority is to prepare the Republic of Moldova for membership. This means a process of transformation, major reforms, so that we can be a functioning state within the European Union.

 

Euronews: If we were to draw a conclusion on the Republic of Moldova’s accession process, what do you expect, how difficult will it be and what do you think the greatest challenges will be?

 

Cristina Gherasimov: For the Republic of Moldova, the European Union means the safety of tomorrow’s day. This is what we did not have for the last 30 years. Throughout the process, during the negotiation process, preparing the country for accession, to invest in us, our society, our economy, our citizens, so we can build Europe at home. There are many obstacles, but we are confident that we can successfully navigate them, because we have all the support and solidarity of our partner states, the European institutions, and we will be able to benefit from a great deal of openness in this process.

 

Euronews  Romania interview