‘Existential threat’: Moscow’s shadow looms over the EU's enlargement drive

Recent ballots in Georgia and Moldova have shown how the Kremlin is working to counter the EU’s eastern expansion.

Transcript

00:00Could the European Union's enlargement policy be at a crossroad?

00:06On Wednesday, the European Commission presented its annual progress report on candidate countries.

00:15But the publication comes after two elections in Moldova and Georgia, which have upset the

00:21political momentum seen since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

00:25The former said yes to Europe, but by a narrow margin of 50.4%.

00:33The Georgians, on the other hand, have kept a party in power that has adopted laws inspired

00:38by Russia.

00:39This has raised questions about the attractiveness of the European project.

00:44The European Union definitely has a lot of credibility, particularly in Georgia, and

00:52this is what the people choose for their future.

00:54It's not about the credibility of the EU, it's about the current government that is

00:58really taking their choice away from the Georgian people.

01:01In Moldova, the situation is a little bit different because Moldovans are very poor

01:05currently and they have been the victims of all the manipulation from Kremlin, including

01:09increased prices, inflation, and they're just really vulnerable to that.

01:14With allegations of interference from Russia in two elections, questions are also being

01:19raised about the EU's ability to be a political alternative and a guarantor of security and

01:26stability.

01:27This analyst believes that in order to strengthen their credibility, the 27 member states must

01:33no longer delay enlargement.

01:37I don't think any of these countries are looking towards Moscow.

01:40I mean, that train left the station a very long time ago.

01:45I mean, Moscow remains a huge threat to the entire region and to the EU, but the EU really

01:53needs to stick to the commitment that it made, not just for the sake of the candidates and

01:59its own security, but also for its credibility as a geopolitical actor.

02:06Observers like Amanda Poole are calling on the EU to support reforms and the defense

02:11of democratic values among the candidates for accession in order to bind them more closely

02:17to the European project.

02:19If the European response is insufficient, they say Russia could strengthen its influence

02:24in these territories.