Europaministerens keynote indlæg på Moldova European Integration Forum 2024

Dear Ministers, Dear ambassadors, Dear distinguished participants.

 

Thank you for this opportunity to speak at this important conference. This is my first visit to Moldova and I look forward to meeting colleagues and learning more about your beautiful country. I especially look forward to tasting your world-renowned wine – with moderation of course.

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We are all here today to set focus on Moldova’s future as member of the EU. And we want to support Moldova in this important decision to commit itself to a European future.

Moldova’s choice is a choice made in adversity. In adversity against forces that want to pull Moldova away from its European future.

These forces did not hold back on using every trick in their dark playbook. They interfered with the the referendum and they interfered in the presidential election using disinformation and vote buying. They even had some success with this dreadful endeavour – as international observers have concluded.

Luckily, these forces did not prevail. Instead, a majority of Moldovan voters have now declared themselves in favour of an EU-membership. And a majority of voters re-elected president Sandu not least because she was the candidate most committed to bringing her country into the EU and pushing for the necessary reforms. I sincerely want to congratulate Moldova on choosing this path.

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EU membership is  an active choice  for Moldova to make. Regardless of the interference in the democratic process, some Moldovans do show scepticism towards an EU-membership. Because: what exactly will it entail?

I truly understand that. 52 years ago, many Danes were also hesitant about joining the EU. They saw it as a threat to our sovereignty. But not anymore. Today, there is widespread acknowledgment that the EU strengthens our sovereignty and our prosperity by bringing us closer to our neighbors in a mutually binding relationship.

Getting to this point has involved a broad political coalition across the political spectrum. We don’t agree on everything. But we agree that the EU is good for Denmark.

Today, most Danes even take the privileges of the single market and the freedom of movement for granted. But when Denmark joined the EU, it required a leap of faith:  It required that we dared take a step towards a future, that seemed full of promises, but was also bound to change the way we used to do things.

Nobody is claiming this change is easy. The adaptation of Moldova’s legislation to that of the EU will not be an easy process. It will require hard work and tough choices. Entrenched habits will need to change.

But those changes will be for the better. Many of the East European countries that have joined the EU in the previous decades have seen their prosperity multiply manyfold since their entrance in the Union. For instance, your neighbouring country Rumania, that has more than quadrupled its purchasing power pr. capita during the last 20 years.

But being part of the Union is contingent on certain key elements: An efficient judiciary; the fight against corruption and organised crime; a well-functioning economy; rules and standards to be implemented in agriculture and different industries. And behind it all, a reaffirmation of democratic values and fundamental rights. These are all things that have contributed to ensure peace, stability and unprecedented prosperity for the EU’s member states since 1958.

Denmark jumped on that train in 1973. Hopefully, Moldova can do the same in the years to come. Because we want you as part of our family.

 

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In the EU, we wish for a peaceful and friendly relationship with all our neighbours. Unfortunately, we find ourselves at a moment in time, where such relationships are not always possible. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has changed the geopolitical landscape dramatically. But by threatening the security of the whole European continent, it has also injected new momentum in the enlargement process.

By committing to the European path, the candidate countries are going to contribute to a better and more predictable security environment in all of Europe. They will also contribute to a stronger European voice on the global scene. A scene, where democratic values and fundamental rights are under pressure.

But we have to make sure that an enlarged Europe is also a stronger Europe. For that to happen, the EU needs to reform itself and prepare for enlargement. And the candidate countries need to live up to the criteria for membership.

The EU is a community of shared values underpinning thousands of pages of legislation and standards. These standards have evolved over the years and they are still evolving.

An EU-membership comes with rights and obligations. And all members must live up to those obligations for the community to function. We cannot have one member acting by a completely different set of rules than the others. And we must all adhere to the same broad set of ideas and values that guide our engagement with the rest of the world.

Our common set of laws and values have been the source of our stability and prosperity since 1958. This is why we insist so much on the criteria for membership.

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The story of Moldova’s European path since its application for membership in March 2022 has so far been very successful. Huge progress has been made. Since June 2022, Moldova has gone from being recognised as a candidate country to opening negotiations on membership in June 2024. That is record time! Moldova is advancing so well that the Commission is recommending opening negotiations on the first cluster of chapters already in 2025.

Denmark wholeheartedly applauds this development, and we will soon be in a special position to add further momentum to the negotiation process. In July next year we will take over the Presidency of the European Union. And as chair of the General Affairs Council, I will do my utmost to have the Council’s broad support materialise in opening of negotiation clusters.

But there is still a long way to go and the process  will also depend on the results achieved in Moldova’s reform process.

But Moldova is not alone in this endeavour. You have many friends – Denmark amongst them. And we stand ready to help. In the Council, we will soon decide on the reform and growth plan for Moldova with significant funds designed to support your reform effort. And bilaterally, Denmark will roll out a pre-accession instrument, through which we hope to see the first projects already next year. The aim is to bolster the capacity of the Moldovan central administration and prepare Moldova for the hard task of adapting Moldova’s legislation to that of the EU.

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We live in challenging times for the European continent. A time where Europe needs to pull together and become stronger. Following the European path will still require a lot of hard work from you. But your European friends stand ready to help you.You are embracing a better future. And you have shown your resilience in fighting for that future.

Thank you.