Spoke at the #EU Accession Exchange Forum in #Kyiv on Ukraine’s reform path and Europe’s future. Hours later, Russia hit the city again. Ukraine’s EU path isn’t just about acquis — it’s about survival, sovereignty, and defending a rules-based order. @dgap.org

Today at @dgap.org we unpacked Moldova’s elections 🇲🇩: a choice between the EU path and Moscow’s. RU used disinfo, illicit funds & cyber threats, but the society showed resilience. Joined by @johannesschraps.bsky.social, Dorina Baltag, Polina Panainte and moderated by Stefan Meister.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of commenting on Moldovan elections for @france24.com & later @dwnewstoday.bsky.social. These elections have been truly significant,by the evening you could see the geopolitics weighing on me😅 www.france24.com/en/video/202... www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHJs... @dgap.org

Moldova has voted: PAS wins with 50.15%, beating the polls despite Russian interference. The people chose a pro-EU, reform path. Meanwhile, the pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc (24%) calls for protests. PAS must now deliver reforms & lead Moldova toward EU accession. #Moldova #Elections #EU

The vote count in #Moldova’s elections is close to being finalized. Stakes couldn’t be higher, but the picture is still unclear. Earlier this week, I shared comments with @nytimes.com on what’s at play in these elections. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/27/w...

#Moldova elections: unexpected results for Democrația Acasă (“Democracy at Home”), backed by Romania’s AUR and George Simion. Polls had predicted much lower support. Instead of rallying behind PPDA, many voters were convinced by TikTok, AUR used its networks for mobilising the Moldovan diaspora

#Moldova elections - overall turnout is now around 51.7%. In diaspora - around 261k, high mobilisation. Lower turnout in Russia. Interesting that more women vote than men, low participation rates among young people.

🇲🇩 Moldova votes today in parliamentary elections. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Here’s my short take for @cepa.org: cepa.org/article/mold... On Tuesday, join me to discuss the outcome of these elections: dgap.org/en/events/ou...

🎧 Destabilised, influenced by Russia & a candidate for EU accession – #Moldova holds parliamentary elections on Sunday. Who is running, and which path will Moldovans choose? An overview with political scientists @pociumban.bsky.social#Moldova& Nadja Douglas on the ZOiS podcast #Roundtable_Osteuropa ⤵️

Speakers: 🔴 @pociumban.bsky.social, German Council on Foreign Relations @dgap.org 🔴 Ionela Maria Ciolan, Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies 🎙️ Amanda Paul, Deputy Head of Europe in the World Programme and Senior Policy Analyst, @epc-official.bsky.social, will moderate the discussion.

With days to go before #Moldova’s elections, #Russia’s interference has reached an unprecedented scale. The Kremlin doesn’t want a strong Moldova, it wants a weak one, easy to destabilise and use as a lever against Ukraine.

New on the #EaPTTN site: “What’s Brewing in the Eastern Neighborhood?” We ask: Should #Ukraine & #Moldova’s EU paths be decoupled? With @Susan Stewart, Steven Blockmans & Nikola Xaviereff-Weckwerth. Also: a Polish view on 🇺🇦 in our Notes from the Road. eapthinktanks.org @dgap.org

🚨Call for policy papers! With @dgap.org and IPRE, we’re looking at how hybrid threats shape elections in the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood. Deadline for pitches: Aug 24. Authors join our Nov colloquium in Chișinău. Details 👉 dgap.org/en/press/new... Spread the word!

A new @epc-official.bsky.social #podcast episode with our expert @pociumban.bsky.social explores the high-stakes geopolitical tug-of-war over #Moldova, a small country caught between 🇪🇺 integration & 🇷🇺 interference ahead of its crucial parliamentary elections on 28 September. Listen in now! 🎧👇

Looking for a student/project assistant to support the Eastern Partnership Think Tank Network at @dgap.org . Work on #EU policy, #Ukraine, #enlargement & regional shifts. Tasks: newsletter, website, events. DM me if interested or share! dgap.org/de/dgap/jobs..., dgap.org/de/dgap/jobs...

🔴 The Language of Power #Podcast: Moldova’s Moment In this episode, Paul Taylor, Tatiana Cojocari and Anastasia Pociumban explore Russian interference ahead of #Moldova’s pivotal #ParliamentaryElections on 28 September. epc.eu/podcast/the-...

First #EU #Moldova Summit For following live: moldova1.md/live (Moldovan state TV in Romanian with comments) and lnkd.in/d2kmeGUG (the EU official channel)

Today, #Moldova hosts its first ever #EU–Moldova #Summit, an important moment, as the country nears the end of the EU screening process and gears up for parliamentary elections in September. @dgap.org

Just back from #Moldova after a study visit with IPRE. Met officials, talked elections, security, Russian interference, and EU integration. Also joined Paralela 47 on Radio Moldova. Always good to be back—and to catch some Chișinău summer vibes.🎧 radiomoldova.md/s/ro/13 @dgap.org

This year I wrote about #Moldova’s unresolved conflicts for @bpb.de Beyond Transnistria, Gagauzia, and domestic grievances remain key fault lines exploited by external actors. Read the full piece (DE): www.bpb.de/themen/krieg... #Moldova #ConflictAnalysis #EUIntegration #HybridThreats @dgap.org

Romania votes soon — and the stakes are huge for the EU, Ukraine & Moldova too. I spoke with @alexmiladinovic.bsky.social from BBC Serbian about the key candidates and why this matters.🗳️ www.bbc.com/serbian/arti... #RomanianElections

Takeaways from my trip to #Kyiv #Ukraine @dgap.org www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6zH...

New paper out: on civil society’s role in reforms + EU integration in the #EaP region. Written as Trump 2.0, US aid cuts, Georgia’s backsliding & enlargement hurdles reshaped the landscape. @dgap.org Read here: eap-csf.eu/articles/adv...

🚀 Exciting - @dgap.org ThinkTankSchool is open for applications from #EaP! Designed for early- to mid-career professionals, it boosts skills & networks in policy research. 📅 Apply by: April 23 📢 webinar: March 27 dgap.org/en/research/... #ThinkTankSchool #PolicyResearch

Joined @tvpworld.bsky.social to discuss the #US-Russia meeting on a #Ukraine ceasefire. #Russia isn’t serious—it’s recycling old demands with no real concessions. The big question: Will the US pressure Russia or Ukraine? For Trump, securing a deal may matter more than securing Ukraine. #Geopolitics

“Tying peace to elections would leave 🇺🇦 politically & militarily vulnerable”, argue experts Anastasia Pociumban & András Rácz in their new paper. They lay out the danger of a possible 🇷🇺 electoral interference & direct military implications of lifting martial law.

Excellent piece by @pociumban.bsky.social and Andras Racz @dgap.org. Already during the Minsk process, Russia used elections to manipulate conflict resolution. The same sequencing mistakes shouldn't be repeated this time.

🚨 Rushing #elections in #Ukraine risks democracy Free & fair elections need security & oversight—impossible under war. Calls for a quick vote play into Russian propaganda. Ukraine’s democracy must be strengthened, not sabotaged. Elections should happen after a peace deal. dgap.org/de/forschung...

“When Russia runs things, your country or region becomes a geopolitical plaything where your interests will always come second. At best,” @pociumban.bsky.social explains Transnistria's crisis at the hands of the Kremlin.

We are discussing shifting security trends, the war’s impact on 🇪🇺 strategy and key elements for a revised EaP policy & the interplay between domestic & foreign threats. #Geopolitics #EU #EaP /2 @meistefan1.bsky.social @pociumban.bsky.social

DGAP is thrilled to hold a workshop of the Eastern Partnership Think Tank Network under the 🇪🇺 Polish Presidency 🇵🇱 on redefining the EU’s role as a security actor in the Eastern Neighbourhood. With 🇷🇺’s war on 🇺🇦 & hybrid threats, trade & energy are increasingly securitized. /1

Updates on #Moldova’s #EnergyCrisis Today, President Maia Sandu, Prime Minister Dorin Recean, and Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Serebrean visited localities in Moldova's security zone, highlighting the human and political toll of the ongoing energy crisis. www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

#EnergyCrisis in #Moldova As 2025 begins, Moldova faces another severe energy crisis—arguably one of the most challenging. Read more: www.linkedin.com/feed/update/... @dgap.org

🚀Final Workshop for 2024: #Europe’s Capacity to Act Amid #Geopolitical Shifts & Russia’s War on #Ukraine With #Russia’s war surpassing 1,000 days, the #EU faces critical tests. Today we examine policy shifts, #Poland’s 2025 presidency, & strategies for resilience in an uncertain era. @dgap.org

Moldova’s #Energy #Crisis, ed.2024 #Moldova faces another energy crisis due to its supply and governance vulnerabilities. PM Dorin Recean asked for the resignation of the Energy Minister and plans to declare a state of emergency in the energy sector from 16 Dec. www.linkedin.com/posts/apociu...

The situation in #Georgia is escalating, with Georgian Dream detaining political opposition, activists and applying violence. Crucial times for country as society is opposing GD's rule, following rigged elections and decision to suspend Georgia's #EU integration.

Hey friends!🎙️Join me for a #KitchenTalk on #Moldova at @n-ost.bsky.social We’ll dive into Moldova’s political scene—right in the thick between presidential and parliamentary elections. 🗓️ 11 Dec, 6–8 PM 📍 n-ost media hub If you are in #Berlin, I hope to see you there! @dgap.org

“We need to win and we need to survive”, emphasized our guest Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, at our special Morning Briefing today. In a panel discussion with her, @guntramwolff.bsky.social, @bctallis.bsky.social & @pociumban.bsky.social, we assessed the 🇪🇺 Ukraine strategy.

Europe’s running a high risk strategy on #Ukraine. Our timidity locks in the costs of defeat - without the benefits of victory. - we talk how to change that with 🇺🇦 Deputy PM @StefanishynaO, @GuntramWolff @NastiaPociumban @dgapev & me! Email 🌟[email protected]🌟 to join the discussion - 24/11 0900

The Russian invasion of #Ukraine had immediate repercussions for #Moldova. While the Russian army was prevented from reaching Moldova due to Ukraine's defence efforts, it nevertheless became a theatre for Russia's hybrid warfare operations. hcss.nl/report/moldo...

Happening now: EaP Think Tank Network workshop on #enlargement - we are discussing the implications of the reports for #Ukraine, #Moldova and #Georgia, with inputs from DG NEAR and think tankers. @dgap.org

Our #MorningBriefing is back! This week, together w/ András Rácz, Alexandra von Nahmen & Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, Jan Stöckmann will assess the perspectives for 🇺🇦 regarding the 🇷🇺 aggression as well as its possible 🇪🇺 membership. Join us on Thursday for an insightful discussion! on.dgap.org/3udedkM

Big day today:the EU Commission recommended starting accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, granting candidate status to Georgia. The next step is endorsement at the EUCO meeting, which might be challenging. The enlargement process should happen in parallel with the EU reform. @dgap.org