Putin im Weinkeller: Moldau zwischen Europa und Russland

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Am 25. Juni 2026 hielt IDM-Direktor Sebastian Schäffer einen öffentlichen Vortrag an der Außenstelle Tübingen der Landeszentrale für politische Bildung Baden-Württemberg (LpB BW) zum Thema „Moldau zwischen Europa und Russland – Putin im Weinkeller”. Die Veranstaltung fand in Kooperation mit dem KOSME – Kompetenzentrum Ost-, Südost- und Mitteleuropa sowie dem Institut für Politikwissenschaft der Universität Tübingen statt. 

Der Vortrag beleuchtete die aktuelle Lage der Republik Moldau im Spannungsfeld zwischen europäischer Integration und russischem Einfluss. Im Mittelpunkt standen die Ergebnisse der Präsidentschaftswahl 2024, des EU-Verfassungsreferendums sowie der Parlamentswahl 2025, die allesamt zeigten, wie knapp der proeuropäische Kurs Moldaus gehalten werden konnte. Schäffer analysierte zudem die eingefrorenen Konflikte in Transnistrien und Gagauzien als zentrale Instrumente russischer hybrider Einflussnahme sowie die jüngsten Fortschritte auf dem EU-Beitrittspfad, darunter die Eröffnung des ersten Verhandlungsclusters am 16. Juni 2026. 

Die Veranstaltung wurde moderiert von PD Dr. Daniela Simon (Institut für donauschwäbische Geschichte und Landeskunde, Tübingen) und durch einen Kommentar von Dr. Cristian Cercel (ebenfalls Institut für donauschwäbische Geschichte und Landeskunde) ergänzt. Trotz der sommerlichen Hitzewelle fand sich ein gut besuchtes und aufmerksames Publikum ein, das die Diskussion über Moldaus demokratische Resilienz und die geopolitischen Implikationen der EU-Erweiterungspolitik mit großem Interesse verfolgte. 

Die titelgebende Geschichte „Putin im Weinkeller” ist in Sebastian Schäffers Buch Moldau und Ukraine nach Europa sofort enthalten. Weitere Analysen zu Moldau finden sich hier: https://www.idm.at/moldau/ 

Sebastian Schäffer for Moldpres about Civil society support for Moldova’s EU accession

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Schäffer in Chișinău: Impressive Progress, but Long Road Ahead 

During his recent trip to Moldova, IDM Director Sebastian Schäffer praised Chișinău’s reform record while calling for sustained effort: “What Moldova is demonstrating is impressive, and what the government has achieved so far is impressive. However, there are still many things that need to be implemented in order to take over and apply the EU acquis. The road is still long.” His remarks coincided with the first Moldova–EU Summit in Brussels on 22 June 2026, where President Maia Sandu met with European Council President António Costa and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. 

Civil society mobilizes support for Moldova’s EU accession 

 

IDM Director on Moldova 1: Winning Over Skeptical EU Capitals Is the Real Test

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IDM Director on Moldova 1: Winning Over Skeptical EU Capitals Is the Real Test 

In a video appearance for Moldova 1, IDM Director Sebastian Schäffer argued that the strategic objective for Moldova and other candidate states must go beyond technical reform implementation to actively securing public and institutional endorsement across EU capitals. “[We will] propably have a situation where candidate candidate countries are ready, and maybe EU members aren’t,” he warned. He emphasised that demonstrating reform viability to external decision-makers is as critical as domestic implementation, a message directed at skeptical member states including Austria, Czechia, France, and other societies wary of enlargement. 

https://moldova1.md/p/78903

Sebastian Schäffer for radio moldova about Member-State Readiness Gap in EU Enlargement

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IDM Director Warns of Member-State Readiness Gap in EU Enlargement 

Speaking at a regional civil society gathering in Chișinău, IDM Director Sebastian Schäffer flagged a structural risk in the enlargement process: candidate countries may achieve technical readiness before key EU member states are politically prepared to welcome them. Representatives from 11 regional NGOs met to address enlargement fatigue. Montenegro’s progress — having provisionally closed half of all negotiating chapters — was cited as the leading regional benchmark, alongside the formal opening of Moldova’s first negotiation cluster on rule of law and democratic institutions on 15 June 2026. 

Montenegro leads as Moldova opens first EU negotiation cluster 

Moldova’s European Future: Insights from Chișinău – IDM Short Insights 57

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As part of the Citizens for EU Enlargement (CitizEn) project, IDM Director Sebastian Schäffer and Research Associate Sophia Beiter are in Chișinău, Moldova, at a pivotal moment in the country’s EU accession process.

Just days after the opening of Cluster 1 – Fundamentals, they share their reflections on Moldova’s progress towards EU membership, the reforms driving the process forward, and why it is important that citizens can already feel the benefits of European integration in their daily lives.

Listen to Sebastian and Sophia’s key takeaways from Chișinău:

Ninon Bouteloup in Fair Observer: FIMI and the Future of EU Enlargement

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“In Moldova Enlargement Report 2025, FIMI-related terms are cited nearly as often as “rule of law”, a cornerstone of EU accession. But here is a catch: Resilience to FIMI is not an official EU accession criterion.” 

In her latest article for Fair Observer, Ninon Bouteloup explores the extent to which FIMI has become an unwritten criterion for EU accession and warns of the risk that FIMI could become a selective political tool.  

 

Read the full article here: https://www.fairobserver.com/politics/fimi-and-the-future-of-eu-enlargement-security-concern-or-political-filter/ 

 

Shaping the future of EU enlargement: project concludes with final event in Budapest

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The concluding event of the project ‘Central Europe and Future EU Enlargement‘ took place from 10–11 March in Budapest.

During a roundtable discussion with an extended consortium on the premises of the Central European University, partners shared best practices and talked about how to continue the cooperation beyond the scope of the project.

The final presentation of results and panel discussion was part of the Budapest Balkans Forum, which was organised by our project partner the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs. Research Associate Rebecca Thorne gave an overview of the project activities and highlighted some recommendations from the policy papers, before the panellists took the stage for a discussion on enlargement momentum. The panel featured Krševan Antun Dujmović, expert advisor at the Institute for Development and International Relations; Filip Ilankovic, Research Fellow, Hungarian Institute of International Affairs; Stevan Kandic, Advisor to the Vice-President of the Parliament of Montenegro; and Grigorij Meseznikov, President of the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO). The discussion was moderated by IDM Director Sebastian Schäffer.

Thank you to the International Visegrad Fund for their support as well as to all partners for the excellent cooperation: Association for International Affairs (Czechia), Europeum (Czechia), Institute of Public Affairs (Poland), Institute for Public Affairs (Slovakia), Albanian Network for Rural Development, Institute for European Policies and Reforms (Moldova), European Policy Centre (Serbia), Ukrainian Institute for International Politics, Foreign Policy Council ‘Ukrainian Prism’.