Thread by @DionisCenusa

#EU_Enlargement: The EU is offering support to the new candidate states like Moldova. However, it is curious how the information about the support is communicated. Here are some short remarks:⤵️

https://twitter.com/vonderleyen/status/1663914866946572299

1) The lowering of the roaming tariffs is a right step, but this is a spillover effect from the recent decision adopted for the Western Balkans. In other words, the measure is not exceptional and it can be replicated to other⤵️

small countries in the Wider Europe (not to Ukraine for now); 2) The EU speaks about increasing the amount of financial aid. However, it has already transferred or pledged more than 1 billion euro last year. So, out of 1.6 billion euros mentioned today 1.2 billion euros⤵️

or around this sum was deliverers/promised. Notably, the opposition forces are wondering if the EU is aware how the money is spent before giving new aid; 3) Energy projects and the rehabilitation of the railways is done based on the loans mentioned above. The offered money is⤵️

directed for projects in the energy field, transportation etc.; 4) The EU is investing in Moldova’s security, which is also important for Ukraine and the EU itself. However, the news about the CSFP civilian mission has been mentioned multiple times as a consumed event.⤵️

The EU Commission is trying to recycle the news about the new mission with the occasion of the ECP summit in Chisinau. Again the EU’s assistance has been essential for the political stability of Moldova and without it the govt (PAS-Sandu) would have been in serious troubles.⤵️

It is also important to unpack the EU’s assistance in order to understand the rationale of the communication that Brussels implies to amplify the public approval of the EU and the govt Sandu-PAS (through continuous transfer of external legitimacy).

5) Last but not least, although the EU emphasizes that meritocracy is what counts during the pre-accession dialogue, von der Leyen promises a sort of “accelerated progress” to Moldova (whatever it could mean). Ukraine and Georgia will surely pay attention to such promises.