The Lisbon Treaty finally got ratified. It took its time. This should make EU-wide decision-making a lot easier, not to mention the potential for adding new members.One nation which aspires to join is Moldova, a former Soviet republic (as opposed to an Eastern-bloc nation). Recent elections in the nation have placed a coalition government in place that call themselves the Alliance for European Integration.
3 comments:
Certainly good news for the EU apparat but very bad news for Europe and European democracy.
I have friends from Moldava. Lovely people, but from their description, Moldava is a basket case both politically and economically. This does not bode well for the rest of the EU but it may help Moldava.
I have not spoken to them since the election you mentioned, though.
The Communist party of Moldova basically ruled since the breakup of the USSR. They did, however, allow free and fair elections during that period so that the people could vote for the communists or opposition parties. The recent election put a coalition of non-communist parties into power, and their specific goal seems to be membership of the EU.
My understanding is that the EU is very picky about allowing new members. Moldova is certainly "part" of Europe, so it is up to the new coalition to enact policies that make them fit into the EU.
The Copenhagen Criteria is good:
Membership requires that candidate country has achieved stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights, respect for and protection of minorities, the existence of a functioning market economy as well as the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union. Membership presupposes the candidate's ability to take on the obligations of membership including adherence to the aims of political, economic and monetary union.
Under this criteria is a whole set of common laws and policies that EU members must have.
Moldova won't be able to change things for a while. It'll be 10+ years before they join the EU, assuming that the EU wants them.
The good thing, of course, is that the policies that Moldova will enact to try to join the EU will benefit them whether they join or not.
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