The government's goal is to be ready to conclude negotiations and prepare for the signing of the Treaty on Moldova's Accession to the EU by the end of 2028 - Vasile Tofan
This was stated by the candidate for prime minister while presenting the program of activities of the government he has formed in parliament on Tuesday. He noted that accession to the European Union should be viewed as a modernization program, and an important question is how we use the accession process to modernize the country. "The goal of the mandate is to be ready to conclude negotiations and prepare for the signing of the Treaty on Accession by the end of 2028. This is an ambitious timetable. It will be achieved not through declarations, but through the implementation of laws, functional institutions, and projects implemented on time. By 2026, we must open all six negotiating groups (clusters), and the annual compliance rate of commitments must exceed 90%," stated Vasile Tofan. At the same time, he emphasized that accession should not be measured solely by the number of laws adopted. "A European law transposed into Moldovan legislation, adopted but not implemented, doesn't change people's lives. Sometimes it simply adds a new obligation on paper. Every new rule must be accompanied by an institution that implements it, the necessary people, a realistic budget, functional systems, and transition periods when compliance costs are too high," declared the prime ministerial candidate. He noted that European convergence doesn't mean blindly copying, but rather implementing rules in practice, using real resources and without unnecessary costs. "And where adaptation requires significant investment, we will seek time and support from the European Union. We will strengthen ministries' teams and train civil servants who negotiate and implement European legislation," emphasized Vasile Tofan. According to him, EU accession is achieved not only by political will, but by expertise, discipline, and hard work. "We will also strive for gradual integration before accession – in the energy market, payment systems, transport, research, education, and digital services. People and businesses don't need to wait until the official accession day to reap the benefits. Diplomacy will systematically engage with all 27 member states. We will continue our strategic partnership with Romania, cooperation with Ukraine, and relations with member states, the United States, and Moldova's other partners. We will support a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. Our security is directly linked to Ukraine's resilience and the stability of the region. At the same time, we do not want to join the European Union simply by asking for support. We are obliged to build a competitive economy and strong institutions that contribute to a stronger EU," said the prime ministerial candidate. // 21.07.2026 — InfoMarket
