A direct contact among the University students from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Moldova inspired students to thought-sharing. Short essay bellow shows what the students have to say on the topic of European Integration and Reform Experience of the Visegrad countries and how it relates to Moldova’s European path.

Slovakia
Title: Do you believe that Moldova can meet Copenhagen criteria and become a member of the European Union or will it remain a partner of the EU only? In your opinion, what is the reasoning for Copenhagen criteria?
Author: Matej Petránsky
University: Faculty of Political Science and International Relations University of Matej Bel, 1. year

First of all, we should say, what Copenhagen criteria mean. Th Copenhagen criteria are the rules that define whether a country is eligible to join the European Union. Th criteria require that a state has the institutions to preserve democratic governance and human rights, has a functioning market economy, and accepts the obligations and intent of the EU. I tis necessary to say, that even if Moldova will meet Copenhagen criteria, it is not automatic that Moldova will be accepted in European union. A good example is Turkey which is deprecated in European union because of problems if this country would be accepted in EU.

Nevertheless, countries such as Greece or Cyprus will never vote for acceptance of Turkey in EU due to conflict about Cyprus which is divided into a Greek part and Turkish part. And until Turkey do not give up turkish part of Cyprus for the benefit of Greece, this problem will exist in Europe for a long time. Relations between Moldova and the European union are currently shaped via the European Neighbourhood Policy, a foreign policy instrument of the EU designed for the countries it borders. The Republic of Moldova actively pursues EU membership, but the problem is that Moldova is poorer than any other European country. I hope that after financial crisis in 2008, recession in Eurozone and bail-outs of Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain, EU leaders realized that EU has to be an organisation of countries with developed economy, and I doubt whether Moldova is prepared in this way. Moldova is classified as medium in human development and is at the 111th spot in the list of 177 countries. The value of the Human Develoment Index is below the world average. Also black and grey economy is a problematic point. In my view is Moldova country which has to develop its economy if one day they want to be a member of the EU. This country is known for its wines with well established wine industry. But wine industry is not enough.

Another problematic part is Transnistria. This breakway state is unrecognised by any United Nations member state. Transnistria is is designated by the Republic of Moldova as the Transnistria autonomous territorial unit with special legal status. This territory is controlled by russian army and generally desribed as one of Russiaˈs „frozen conflicts”. So it is possible that at the appropriate time Russia will do the same as in case of Crimea – referendum which asked the people of Crimea whether they wanted to join Russia as a federal subject. And I doubt whether Moldova will be still interesting country without Transnistria for EU. Tiraspol, the capital city of Transnistria is the second biggest city in Moldova and without this territory the economy of Moldova will be even more poorer. I am very pesimistic about Moldova membership in EU. I predict Transnistria will be a part of Russia in a very short time and Moldova will depend more and more for assistance from the Russia.