REUNIR

REUNIR Mid-term Conference in Tbilisi – Madalina Dobrescu, NTNU

REUNIR Project | Expert Insights Series, 2nd Mid-Term Conference Highlights

We’re continuing our expert video series from the REUNIR Mid-Term Conference in Tbilisi, Georgia. In this interview, an Associate Professor of European Studies at NTNU – Norwegian University of Science and Technology explores:

What are the key challenges and opportunities for the EU in strengthening its engagement with Moldova and the broader Eastern Neighbourhood in the current geopolitical climate?

She explains that Moldova and Ukraine have clearly committed to a European path, making them important partners for deeper EU engagement. In contrast, Georgia’s recent backsliding on reforms has limited the EU’s ability to engage constructively.

Major challenges across the region include Russia’s ongoing aggression—militarily in Ukraine and politically in Moldova—through disinformation, cyber attacks, and interference in elections. Added to this are internal issues like political instability, corruption, oligarchic influence, and deep societal divisions, which make democratic reforms difficult to sustain.

Follow REUNIR for more expert insights from our conference series.