Moldova was one of the first countries mentioned by EU leaders as a candidate for closer cooperation

Moldova was one of the first countries mentioned by EU leaders as a candidate for closer cooperation. Andre Wilkens and Viorel Ursu make the case for keeping the door open for possible future membership of the country in the Union, while highlighting the remaining areas of volatility, which could be bolstered with the success of the ENP. There is no doubt that Moldova is not yet ready to join the EU: its institutions are weak, its political leadership is corrupt, its economy is one of the poorest in Europe, and its relationship with the separatists remains tenuous. The OSCE and the Council of Europe are consistently critical of Moldova's electoral process and the suppression of the opposition by the governing party. The judicial system is inefficient, mainly because judges are vulnerable to external pressure and bribery. International and local civil society organisations have accused Moldova of numerous human rights violations, including infringements on freedom of expression and association, lack of media independence, and ill-treatment of prisoners. The country is so poor that some 300,000 Moldovans have emigrated in the last five years to seek better opportunities abroad. But Moldova's situation is similar to those of some of the Western Balkan countries that were given the chance to qualify for the EU game as well as many of new Eastern European members when they started negotiations. Who could have predicted 15 years ago that the EU 2004 would include countries from the former Soviet Union? It was the chance at EU membership that stimulated their transformation process. The Euroteam wants strong players that share the same values and play according to the EU rules. In fact, this was the starting point for creating the European Communities, turning competing, vulnerable countries into team players who created a growing force of peace, stability, democracy and prosperity.