How Moldova Is Reshaping Its Future

Welcome to Institute Insights, where TBI experts bring to life our work supporting political leaders to drive change that transforms lives.

In this edition, we spotlight Moldova – a country that, in partnership with TBI, has undergone a remarkable and powerful transformation. With a shared vision for improving lives and aligning with European standards, Moldova is showing how targeted reform and effective delivery can reshape a country’s future.

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A Partnership for Lasting Reform

Moldova has always been shaped by its location, situated at a critical geographic crossroads between East and West. Its history reflects that pull, from its time within the Soviet Union to its deepening ties with Europe today. This location brings both opportunity and vulnerability, placing Moldova on the frontline of a broader geopolitical contest between integration and influence.

In this context, last October’s referendum, when Moldovans voted to enshrine EU membership as a constitutional objective, is more than a domestic milestone; it’s a political line in the sand drawn by a country that has faced persistent and multifaceted Russian interference. It is a powerful statement of intent, safeguarding the country’s pro-European direction.

Russia’s interference in Moldova has been significant. From attempts to capture the energy market to orchestrated cyber-attacks and covert funding of anti-European parties, multiple tactics are being used to seek to interfere with Moldova’s trajectory towards EU membership. Yet Moldova’s leadership and its people have chosen a different path. The government has embraced European standards not just in name but through substance. Reforms across energy, infrastructure, trade and public administration are ensuring the country is building the state it wants to become.

TBI has worked in partnership with Moldova’s government over recent years as it does the hard technical and political work to meet the criteria that EU membership requires and turn ambition into reality. With parliamentary elections in September, Moldova’s future continues to be shaped by actions taken today.

Turning Ambition Into Delivery

When Moldova held its referendum on EU membership last year, the vote could easily have gone the other way. Despite widespread Russian interference – from disinformation campaigns to the alleged distribution of pre-paid debit cards and mobile top-up cards aimed at swaying voters – a narrow majority chose a different future. They voted for European integration.

It was a defining moment for the country. Yet that outcome didn’t come out of nowhere. It was the result of years of reform under extraordinary pressure. While managing energy blackmail, cyber-attacks and the daily reality of a frozen conflict, Moldova’s leaders have focused not on survival but on delivery, with a clear view to integration with the European Union.

In partnership with TBI and other partners, Moldova’s government has spent the past few years implementing tangible reforms that raise living standards and improve daily life for Moldovans. This work is often technical and complex, but it has been guided by a vision to build a state that delivers for its people and aligns with European benchmarks.

In infrastructure alone, more than 2 billion Moldovan leu (MDL; approximately €100 million) has been invested in local community projects to support roads, utilities and public spaces. In a country long underserved by its own systems, the impact is visible. Roads are safer and more connected. Public spaces are cleaner and more welcoming. These changes signal a government that is actively trying to improve quality of life.

The same intent runs through Moldova’s energy reforms. In 2022, Russia slashed its gas supplies to Moldova, triggering blackouts and skyrocketing prices. The response? Moldova accelerated its diversification strategy. The country is now integrated into the EU electricity network and has cut off direct purchases from Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned energy company, for its mainland supply. At the household level, more than 50 million MDL in support has helped families switch to energy-efficient appliances through the Home Appliance Voucher Programme – a small but meaningful shift that cuts bills and reduces emissions.

But Moldova’s transformation is not just about resistance. It is about creating opportunity. In classrooms, a new wave of teacher training is bringing modern methods to students who are preparing not for the post-Soviet world their parents inherited, but for the European future they voted for. For entrepreneurs, it means less bureaucracy and more backing. Simplified reporting has saved small businesses hundreds of thousands of hours in paperwork. Government-backed loans through the 373 Programme have delivered billions in investment, fuelling more than 2,000 new jobs. Regulations have been streamlined to enable farmers to export additional products – such as eggs and poultry products – to EU markets faster, thereby increasing the market reach of Moldovan agricultural goods.

These reforms are not isolated. They form part of a larger strategy to align Moldova’s systems, institutions and economy with European standards, while ensuring those reforms deliver tangible improvements in everyday life – a European standard of living to all those in Moldova.

None of this is happening in a vacuum. Moldova’s progress is also a response to a region that’s growing more volatile. Russian interference remains active. Foreign troops are still stationed in Transnistria. And the Kremlin continues to exploit vulnerabilities wherever it finds them. Moldova is showing that resilience is more than holding the line; it is moving forward even when the path is steep.

EU membership is not guaranteed. The process will be complex and politically fraught. But Moldova is already acting like a country that belongs – not just through its foreign policy, but through the choices it is making every day about how to govern, how to grow and how to serve its people.

The message is clear: Moldova is changing, growing and building a brighter future. With strong leadership, an effective partnership with TBI and a real commitment to reforms, Moldova is proving that positive transformation isn’t just possible, it’s delivering real results.

Experts in Action

Oxford AI Gala  

TBI Director of Science & Technology Policy Jakob Mökander will join a fireside chat with other leading thinkers at the forefront of AI governance, including Dr Jade Leung of the AI Safety Institute and Kunal Handa of Anthropic, moderated by Dr Stuart Ritchie (Moderator) of Anthropic.  

📅 Saturday 31 May |⏰ 9pm to 9:30pm (BST) |📍Oxford University Museum of Natural History  

Local Government Technology Conference 2025  

TBI Director of Government Innovation Policy Alexander Iosad will speak on reimagining local government in the age of AI. The session will explore how AI can help councils deliver better  services and do more with less.  

📅 Wednesday 4 June | ⏰ 11:10 to 11:40am (BST) |📍QEII Centre, Westminster, London  

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