MEP Victor Negrescu was the among initiators of the European Parliament resolution described as “unprecedented” in support of the Republic of Moldova, sending a strong political signal just days after President Maia Sandu addressed lawmakers in Strasbourg.

The resolution, passed during the September plenary with 490 votes in favor, 65 against and 86 abstentions, denounces Russia’s intensifying hybrid operations and interference attempts ahead of Moldova’s parliamentary elections. It also calls on EU member states to accelerate the launch of accession negotiations with Chișinău.

The text highlights that “Moscow’s repeated attempts to interfere in the democratic processes of the Republic of Moldova are clearly aimed at destabilizing this country and turning it away from the path of democracy, forcing it to revoke its sovereign decisions, particularly those related to future accession to the EU”.

Victor Negrescu, Vice-President of the European Parliament and co-initiator of the resolution, stressed the exceptional nature of the move.

“It is evident that the Russian Federation does not want pro-European forces to win the September elections. The reason is clear: if this happens, Moldova’s path to the European Union becomes irreversible, and Moscow’s influence in Chișinău will disappear,” he said.

Describing the elections as “a new referendum on the Republic of Moldova’s ambition to join the European Union,” Negrescu added that the outcome would demonstrate how quickly the country is determined to join the European family.

The September 28 elections, deemed the most important since Moldova’s independence in 1991, were decisively won by President Maia Sandu’s pro-European party, which secured an absolute majority in Parliament. This gives her government the political strength to continue advancing the country’s European integration agenda.

According to Negrescu, the victory of pro-European forces sends a powerful signal to Brussels. “The Council must immediately approve the start of chapter-by-chapter negotiations,” he said after the vote, emphasizing that Moldovan citizens had delivered a clear mandate for a European future.

“Europe and Romania are winning, and the Republic of Moldova is moving towards a common future with the European Union. By the end of 2028, the accession negotiations with the European Union could be finalized,” Negrescu concluded.

The resolution also noted Moldova’s rapid progress in aligning its national legislation with EU law. The so-called screening process was completed in record time, twice as fast as other candidate states, opening the way for chapter-by-chapter accession talks.